Blueprint Singapore 2012 | Asia’s Fashion Gateway

June 12, 2012 Ena Teo 2 Comments

With thanks to my tutor Yvonne, V and I went down to visit Blueprint Tradeshow.

BLUEPRINT is a one-stop fashion trade gateway for East-West exchange, created to present up-and-coming International and Asian designers. It uniquely specializes in launching Pre-Spring collections and curates fresh and forward menswear, womenswear and accessories including jewelry, shoes and bags from emerging designers destined for international markets. – Blueprint.sg

Here are a few interesting brands that caught my eye when we were there for a little while.

In no particular order (maybe except for how I collected the namecards for reference, haha!) :

ATGAB

Stands for All Things Green and Beautiful and lives true to its name.

Loving ATGAB’s colourful necklaces and headbands.

I love the idea of ATGAB and I am very glad to know that the owner and local (Singaporean) designer of this green label, Elaine has been able to sustain the label since 2009.

And she has a huge mission: To preserve the environment we live in by starting a serious green business. Elaine collects pre-loved handbags, cuts them up, re-thinks the materials, and hand-makes them into the most unexpected accessories. Every product is made up of at least 50% – 80% upcycled materials. Elaine is very proud of the workmanship of all designs, and take even more pride in the big hearts of their Bag Goddesses. A percentage of all profits would also go towards non-profit organisations as their way of giving back to society. – allthingsgreenandbeautiful.com/

The website has a count of number of bags collected and reused for their products. Which is really cute.

ATGAB is stocked at Soon Lee
73 Haji Lane
Singapore 189266

Urface

Is a very interesting brand that collaborates with artists / graphic designers to create one of a kind canvas tote / messenger bags, each limited to only 7 in the world.

374272_305866156108242_110052912356235_1167039_1239610414_n — Urface Canvas Bag

305942_270487709698994_289535774_n — Urface Canvas Bag

I feel that there is a lot of potential to their brand. They remind me of the T-shirt brand Threadless, inviting designers to design T-shirts which are then voted online and produced for buyers. Most of the information on their FB page is in Thai, hopefully they will translate to english for a wider audience in time to come.

kiki culte

Nicknamed KitKat by her friends, Penn, a Cancerian is into myths, legends and fairy tales of sorts. The nocturnally inspired artist devotes all her time to her passion for all kinds of handcrafted art, which include the recent handmade weave accessories. – http://www.kikiculte.com/

I was drawn to kiki culte’s designs because of the rocker chic series. An example here:

The Le Roche series 1 is priced from $128-$188.

Prices for her various series are available here.

Holstad & Co.

I was first drawn to the booth because of the studded bags.

Pink-Python-Laptop-Case_355 — Holstad & Co. Pink Python Laptop Case

Available at $416 on their website here.

Black-Python-Laptop-Case_355 — Holstad & Co. Black Python Laptop Case

Available at $416 on their website here.

I love the colours, the studs and the texture of the bags.

They also feature a range of jewellery on their website.

Suecomma Bonnie

Is a shoe brand that has been likened to Louboutin’s in Korea.

 Korean shoe designer Bo-hyun Lee has taken the craft of shoe designing to the highest level, with each piece looking like a coveted work of art. Suecomma Bonnie’s handmade shoes are made of the most luxurious materials imported from Europe. Known for feminine and sexy styles, the brand has been worn by many Korean celebrities and featured in almost every top fashion glossies in Korea including Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar and W Magazine. - http://www.futurefashionnow.com/index.php/main/designer/9

A few designs to tease your eyes on…

thumb2_12CR_6-1_S1 — Suecomma Bonnie Shoe

thumb2_12CR_4-3_S1 — Suecomma Bonnie Shoe

thumb2_12CR_3-6S1 — Suecomma Bonnie Shoe

You can purchase the Suecomma bonnie Pre-spring 2013 collection on FutureFashionNow here. Limited sales period, till 19 June.

GlamRockChic

Helmed by a lovely lady Sarah Sheue whom V and I talked to at length, listening to her share about her brand’s history and design inspiration.

Here are two shoes that we were in love with from her booth!

GlamRockChic Pink and Black Wedges Summer 2013

This is a sample for her Summer 2013 collection, so it’s not produced or for sale yet! We love the colour combination and the spike details.

This shoe is striking because of the blend of tribal and rocker details which makes it unique.

Priced at US$120 – 200, free shipping to Malaysia, varying additional postage to international customers. Do check out the online store here.

Tip: If you refer 5 friends to the website, you get a 20% coupon for your next purchase! So it might cover your postage fees. (;

Timo Weiland

One last brand that is one of New York’s up and coming designer label by designer duo Timo Weiland and Alan Eckstein. I met them last year when I was helping backstage for their show in Blueprint 2011 and it was a wonderful coincidence to meet them again at the airport when I flew to Hong Kong.

Timo Weiland is the brainchild of New York’s dynamic IT duo Timo Weiland and Alan Eckstein. Known for quirky designs and colour palette, their collections are inspired by their mutual love of European history and travel. In July 2011, Timo Weiland was personally selected by Net-a-Porter’s Director as an inductee to the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Fashion Incubator Program. – http://www.futurefashionnow.com/index.php/main/designer/5

Two of my favourite pieces from their Pre-Spring 2013 collection available for sale until June 19 here:

Front — Timo Weiland Fossil Print Shirt Dress & Cut Out Tank

Timo Weiland Fossil Print Cutout Tank (Grey) available at USD 185.00 here.

Timo Weiland Fossil Print Shirt Dress available at USD USD 442.00 here.

Front-1 — Timo Weiland Shirt Dress w/ Lace Trim

Timo Weiland Shirt Dress w/ Lace Trim available at USD 450.00 here.

I love their quirky yet formal design sensibility. These pieces reminds me of what Blaire in Gossip Girl would wear.

I was excited to meet Timo again and so I took a picture with him. (:

There were of course a lot other clothing labels but alas, I didn’t have the time to venture and collect details. Nonetheless I hope you enjoyed my recap of Blueprint 2012. Support local and Asian talents! (:

Post Blueprint Reflections (2011)

Art & Design

Transmission Lab | Kaleidoscope 2012

June 8, 2012 Ena Teo 2 Comments

I am very happy to blog about Transmission Lab Kaleidoscope 2012. It’s been a year of meetings, ideas, discussion and hard work to bring together a successful art exhibition!

The journey wasn’t easy and it gave me lots of worry to say the least, but I’m glad to have been through this experience!

The opening was held on 11 May, 2012, Friday at our mentors’, Phunk new studio at Tanjong Pagar.

Here’s a short write up about the short fashion video I worked on with my collaborators, Gilda Su and Nicole Lee, as well as our profiles:

528485_202021403250730_711969851_n — The video was filmed at Rochester Park, where colonial style buildings blend seamlessly with the greenery.

574724_202021606584043_1839908977_n — A lighthearted video that inspires Love & Daydream.

383401_202021646584039_947070939_n — There will be time for dancing…

75558_202021663250704_862211934_n — & there will be time for daydreaming…

562751_202021706584033_96813576_n — Featuring fashion designs from Rêvasseur by Gilda Su.

578596_202021749917362_1504520824_n — We can’t wait to present the film! See you at the exhibition!

Teo Jia En + Gilda Su + Nicole Lee

Title: Love & Daydream Medium: Video

This video is inspired by the daydreamers and the artwork aims to bring “fun” back into fashion, to encourage its wearers to experiment and to make a statement with a personal style that is uniquely theirs. Keeping in line with the exhibition’s theme Kaleidoscope, we would like this work to encourage the viewers to be free to express themselves creatively through their dressing.

Apprentice: Teo Jia En (Creative Direction)
Teo Jia En is currently a Fashion Management student in Lasalle. Having cultivated an interest in the arts since young, she continued with art studies for ‘O’ & ‘A’ level and decided to pursue fashion studies. With a deep appreciation of the arts and cultures found in fashion, she aspires to be a leading trend maker in the fashion and luxury industry.

Collaborating artist: Gilda Su (Fashion Designer and Make Up Direction)
Gilda Su was born in Singapore and attended Bunka Fashion College. After graduating with a specialist degree in dress-making, she continued her studies at Parsons the New School of Design in New York City. Gilda is a full-time daydreamer and joyseeker. Her designs reflect her love for color and patternmanipulation, a playfulness that comes with self-confidence and an original personal style.

Collaborating artist: Nicole Lee (Videographer, Lighting, Editing)
A jack of many trades, Nicole Lee aspires to be a master in photography and videography. Nicole’s passion started with music, shooting at concerts and club events. While she has expanded into other aspects of photography, Nicole hopes to continue with this mantra of capturing the essence of moments on image. The journey hasn’t been easy, but she is very grateful for everyone who has helped, inspired and taught her.

Credits: North Border Bar & Grill for allowing us to film at their premise and for their warm hospitality.

Do check out our FB page here.

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Photos from the opening night!

It was crowded, inside out!

We did all the design from the identity to the windows to the walls! Credits especially to our talented artists and graphic designers Izyanti, Jin Ping, Wanqi and Joyce!With Nicole. Gilda couldn’t make it because she was prepping for Blueprint. (:My sister and Nicole discussing in front of our work. 😛With Ling Ling. Great tutor at Lasalle, designer of Ling Wu bags and a mother of 3 cute kids! (:

With the lovely and talented apprentices and mentors!

Special thanks to our mentors William, Alvin and Jackson at Phunk for the year of guidance!

Thanks to Fareez for the pictures. For the full album check out here
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Also, it’s the last weekend to catch the show! Do go down to check out the artworks! (:

Exhibition Period
12 May – 10 June 2012

Venue
PHUNK
188-8 Tanjong Katong Road S436990

Opening Hours
Tue – Fri : 12.00 – 18.00
Sat – Sun : 11.00 – 19.00
(closed on Mon)

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Onward Japanese Fashion Show | ICB, DipDrops & Rosebullet

Travel

Philippines Trip 2012 | Beautiful People, Sweet Memories

June 8, 2012 Ena Teo 1 Comment

Back in May, I went to Philippines, Illocos Norte, Laoag with my church pastor and friends to visit the churches we (our church) support there. It’s my second visit to the same area, I was there back in 2010. How time flies indeed and I am very thankful to God for the opportunity to go back again.

Here are snippets of the 1 week we spent in Philippines!

We went to a lady’s home where she cooked and fed about 100 children from 3 villages. The children are colouring pages of Noah’s Ark after we acted the story! (:

I was very impressed with this group’s colouring. It was very neat and artistic! The Filipinos are very talented in the arts like colouring and carvings.

Some of the children who were not colouring were busy playing. This kiddo here was playing with an old motorcycle helmet… Singaporean children would never be playing with a broken helmet because it’s dangerous but the children in Philippines can take anything and turn it into a toy. His coy smile is lovely isn’t it? (:This is our group of youths acting like ruffians! 😛 The tricycle is a very common mode of transport in Philippines. And it’s not uncommon to see 5 passengers squeezed in one!At another stop where we conducted children’s programme. Smiling sweet girls.This family/home had a mini zoo. There were pigs, chickens and goats… This is a new kid and it is adorable!Taking pictures on top a van… With pastor Wiliam and aunty Mei Yoke! It was a very interesting experience to be acquainted with our lunch and dinner dish while she was still alive… Introducing Spider-pig Hermione, whom we have christened affectionately. This is a picture of her struggling while butchers get her ready to board her last trip to the butchers…

Following pictures are quite bloody so please don’t be shocked!

This is Spider-pig Hermoine’s intestines…

This is everything else and her brain and blood in the blue tub. 😮

Sunday’s combined service children’s programme!

It seems that the boy on the left wasn’t very happy at my request for a picture… Sorry for interrupting your lunch boss!
This is Spider-pig Hermione on our dining table. 😛After the home and church visits we were looking forward to Jollybee, Philippine’s famous fast food restaurant. They specialized in chicken and spaghetti. After the meal we had to take a picture with Jollybee!
This is the picture of me and Jollybee two years ago! Seems like I lost some weight, haha!Of course I started a trend this time… 😛A picture of us girls, Sandy, Joey and I while we were at the hospital waiting to visit the pastor Mayolin’s new born baby and his wife.
It was quite a culture shock to realize how dated the Badoc hospital is… This is the newest and most modern looking area, the lobby reception/registration area.At the orphanage where I caught our tallest member, Ryan bullying a little boy in action! Haha! Kudos to the little boy who was a brave fighter till the end… 😛

Then we encountered our little hero who, in the midst of trying to get a shuttlecock down a tree, accidentally threw his slippers up the roof instead. 😛

I was very impressed by this agility and courage for climbing up the roof!

Then we watched the kids tossing an old can which was to determine who will be the catcher in a game of catching. A lot of ingenuity in kids!

On our last night we went to the seaside… 😀Us on the boat! 😀 One of the best boat ride in my life…

Where we basked in the glory of God’s creation, the skies in the setting sun.On the last day we visited a beautiful resort before setting off for the airport.

With my mentor and spiritual mother, aunty Lydia/Mei Yoke.And lovely girls, my “tummies” for the trip! (:And of course we were fascinated by a pregnant, white cow. 😛 That’s Ryan and pastor Redantor.

I am thankful to be able to travel and see the world outside of Singapore. Philippines is blessed with beautiful animals and land (forests, mountains, beaches), something that Singapore don’t have. It is our prayer that Philippines government will be stronger so that the people can have better jobs, education and lives and not just be dependent on exporting their people to work in other countries.

I hope I can go back to visit them again and plan for a longer stay to visit Boracay and Cebu! (:

Beauty

Chanel Spring Summer 2012 Runway Fashion Runway in Singapore

May 25, 2012 Ena Teo 1 Comment

This is an overdue post of the Chanel Spring Summer Runway show which Bini and I attended back in March. (:

Evidently inspired by the underwater world and creatures, Karl’s vision shone through as his pieces were reflective of sea animals and flora against a set of blown up and all-white seashells and corals.

As usual, the runway set and collection is a miniature version of what’s shown in Paris. Catch a glimpse of Karl’s vision of underwater inspired Chanel with Florence Welch arising like Botticelli’s Venus on the half shell singing “What the Water Gave Me.”

Coming back to Singapore, the show was held at Dempsey, a revamped old warehouse of sorts converted to Chanel’s runway for the night. Lounge area where tasty hors d’oeuvre are served.

And the show begins! I only posted the ones I like and weren’t too blurry.

The clothes reflected the colours and textures of fishes, corals and even seaweed. I thought this collection was a lot better than the one we saw last FW 2011.

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And for the door gifts… Chanel gave a set of their Spring Summer nail polish aptly named April, May & June! (;

Here’s to a great summer for all you lovely folks!

Fashion, Travel

Super Seoul Day 3 & 4

May 22, 2012 Ena Teo 2 Comments

Hello! I’ve been back from the Philippines mission trip for about 2 weeks but been busy working at Expo selling biscuits… So, I’m happy to finally bring you the last installment of my Super Seoul Trip – Days 3 & 4!

Day 3//

We headed to Shinsegae to shop in the morning and that’s where I got my super tasty korean seaweed snacks and biscuits! I will dedicate a whole post on that later…

I’m certain I took a whole host of pictures at Shinsegae… But it’s been so long and I can’t locate where the pictures are now. :O But it’s okay… I’ve got one here, a classy store in the men’s department where B shopped for her dad’s suits. (;

We had lunch at Shinsegae, where B recommends their traditional meals, we had to queue about 15 minutes before getting in. A pity it was just 2 of us because they only cater servings for like 4 people so we had to eat so much of the Octopus and meat stew! LOL.

Watch the transition from raw ingredients to tasty stew!

The Saba (i think) fish was tasty!

Watching the Korean Ahjummas enjoying their get-together over lunch.

The wonderful Korean seaweed I bought in bags… You can’t find these tasty brands in Singapore! The ones that Shine department store in Singapore stocks aren’t as tasty as these.

We headed back to the hotel in the evening to put our grocery shopping down and called in Jajjangmyum for dinner! Apparently the hotel says we can’t but they let us do so this once. Haha!

Watching Chinese drama while eating… LOL.

Then we headed down to Myung Dong, night market street with lots and lots of skin care boutiques. I was looking for The Face Shop to buy some on YL’s behalf as well as to get some of the famed facial masks. My sister got us some the last time she was in Korea and it’s good so I also got some back. (: Umm but I didn’t take any pictures of the stores or boutiques. And I even got 10% off for buying like 100k won and above! I think that’s about S$120. You have to ask them for the discount if not they won’t give. HAHA. I’m such a #smartshopper. 😛

No idea how the Korean girls and ahjummas keep up with their high end labels? Here’s how! HAHA. Just kidding. But lots of pirated branded stuff on the streets! Hermes, LV and Chanel scarves above and Chanel accessories below.

LV bags… at a steal! HAHA.

A pretty lame store name, I thought they sold stationaries but it’s a beauty store.

You’d think we ended the day 3 at Myung Dong… But we didn’t! HAHA. We went back to the hotel and decided to head out to Doota again for midnight shopping because it closes at 5am anyway. We were mainly looking for a suitable luggage for B to store all her stuff on the flight back. LOL. So we survived the night till about 2am before going back for the night. And because we were too late to claim the refunds, we planned to go back again the next morning to claim the refunds (#firstworldproblems) before heading back to Samchungdong for lunch, as we did on the first day!

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Day 4 // Packing up… Combined hauls. Mostly B’s lah. HAHA.

Back at Samchungdong for lunch!

With a few hours to spare after check out, we had post lunch tea… Mine’s green tea latte and B’s Americano. HAHA.

On our chartered ride to the airport. ^^,

At Incheon Airport…

We didn’t think check-in would take so long so we had to runnnn all the way for our flight and made it in with 5 min before the gate closed. #phew. Oh btw check out my pair of shoes from Myung Dong’s market. Only about S$30 and has been my go-to shoes since I got back. Been wearing it to death!

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But thankfully we were rewarded with…

LOTS of empty seats HAHA. So we got to hog 3 seats per person. Awesome max. 😀

Hope you guys enjoyed my Super Seoul posts as much as I did experiencing & writing them!

Shopper’s Paradise // Super Seoul Day 2 (enabalista.wordpress.com)
Now or Never // Super Seoul Day 1 (enabalista.wordpress.com)

Fashion, Travel

Shopper’s Paradise // Super Seoul Day 2

May 2, 2012 Ena Teo 3 Comments

For our Super Seoul escapade day 2, we headed out to Lotte department store to shop and lunch!

Check out all the pretty displays at Lotte department store!

Love this pair of shoe, got a pair of black sneaker wedges similar to this from Myung Dong!

There was a lot of attendants at this store, featuring local designer wears.

We had traditional korean food for lunch at level 11!

If you don’t like Korean food, it’s only because you have not tried the authentic korean food in Korea. Dae bak! (The best!)

Reminds me of Rei Kawakubo’s Lumps and Bumps Dress collection:

Love their window display! So artistic and bold.Korea’s Project Runway contestant designs on display~Had sandwich for tea while B was trimming and dyeing/inking her eyebrows!At dinner! We had meat stew for dinner at Hong Dae! We didn’t know how to order and had to trouble B’s friend to speak to the restaurant ahjumma over the phone. HAHA.
Lots of Soju! Bought one back to the hotel and it’s bland. So didn’t finish it. LOL.This meat stew was too much for two of us!At an indie store with a very friendly couple/owners. We told them we came from Singapore and they told us they visited Singapore before, with a $10 bill as proof on their desk. HAHA cute.

The store features some vintage branded clothes as well as some new designer clothes. Quite an eclectic selection. Basically most of the Hong Dae boutiques have their own individual, personalized style yet it’s not different enough to really stand out.

It was a Wednesday night and the lines outside the clubs were INSANE. INSANELY LONG.Never-ending.Then we tumbled across this gothic building. Think it’s a pub of sorts, we didn’t venture in as we were headed back to the hotel for the night!

Here’s one pic of me to end the post, nice? (:Will have the last installment of Super Korea Day 3 + 4 combined when I’m back from the Phillippines! Will be away for a week, on mission trip with my church friends! Do covet your prayers, please pray for our safety and good health while we are there!

Uncategorized

Best Romantic Destinations in the U.S!

April 25, 2012 Ena Teo 1 Comment

About 2 weeks ago, Alexandra sent me an email saying she would like to guest write at my blog. I was very happy and thrilled to receive her email and to cut the long story short, we both agreed to guest write for each other’s blog! I will compile a summary of my Korea trip for her soon. Do check out Alexandra’s blog at http://alexsjourneys.wordpress.com/.

Now that school’s out and holidays are in, it’s perfect time for me to present Alexandra’s first (of hopefully many) travel guest posts, enjoy! I’d definitely want to visit all of the places she’s mentioned! (;

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By Alexandra Jacobs

Nothing says “I love you” like a romantic getaway. Fortunately the U.S. has plenty of places perfect for stealing a kiss. When only the best will do, take your sweetheart by the hand and lead them straight to one of the most romantic destinations in the US.

The Hamptons

This playground of the rich and famous has plenty to do for regular folk. Climb the 197 steps of the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse and take in the beautiful view or check out the Jamesport Vineyard where you can attend a wine tasting in a 150 year old barn.

Not everyone is lucky enough to own one of the beautiful Hamptons houses but you can stay in one for an incredibly reasonable price. The Sunrise Guest House is only steps from the beach. For a seafood dinner at amazing prices, try Duryea’s Lobster Deck. Della Femina serves some of the best Italian food in the Hamptons.

Hawaii

Too romantic to be cliché, Hawaii is the premiere destination for lovers. Snorkel with your sweetheart in the crystal clear water or hike the Haleakala Crater to watch a sunrise that will take your breath away.

To truly get away from it all, head for the Lodge at Koele. This ultra-exclusive hotel may be a bit pricey for some travelers but the panoramic views are priceless. If Italian is your thing, try Capische for dinner. For a taste of local Hawaiian flavor, try Hoku’s.

Ashland, Oregon

No one did love better than Shakespeare and Ashland is a small town devoted to his memory. Take in an authentic play at the world famous Shakespearian Festival or stroll the grounds of Lithia Park, designed by the same man who created Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

Lithia Springs Hotel in downtown Ashland is an exercise in turn-of-the-century opulence with beautifully appointed rooms. For a romantic dinner in a fun atmosphere; head to the Black Sheep on the Plaza. For luxury, try Callahan’s at the base of Mt. Ashland.

Las Vegas

Sin City has a soft spot for lovers. From the top of the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas to the gondola rides through St. Mark’s Square at the Venetian, there are plenty of opportunities to cuddle up with your special someone in this neon oasis.

The Bellagio Hotel and Casino is the most romantic hotel on the strip. At Todd English’s Olives, Italian-style pizzas and amazing pasta dishes are always on the menu. For a natural high, head to the Top of the World restaurant at the Stratosphere where you can dine nearly 1000 feet above Las Vegas for amazing views of the city.

San Francisco

Tony Bennett left his heart here for good reason. The City by the Bay was made for sweethearts. Stroll through the grounds of the Presidio for your daily dose of history or hang out on China Beach before riding the double-decker carousal at Pier 39.

The White Swan Inn on Nob Hill offers breakfast in the morning and wine by the fire at night. For fresh seafood, try Catch on Market St. For a true 1930s supper club experience, head for Bix.

Romance is often described as a lost art but the above destinations have managed to keep it alive and well. From the beauty and nature of the Hamptons to the bright lights and culture of San Francisco, this country has plenty of places to cuddle up, steal a kiss and get back to what really matters.

Travel

Now or Never // Super Seoul Day 1

April 21, 2012 Ena Teo 5 Comments

** Updated with more pictures**

About 2 months ago, B and I headed to Seoul, Korea for 4D3N. With thanks to my Aunt’s travel package, we managed to get a great deal on the plane and hotel fare there! (:

Titled Now or Never, the trip was planned about a month in advance and I procrastinated a lot before uploading because of all the photos I have from this trip! But since my last and final school submission is next Tuesday I can finally find time to upload them on this fine Saturday. (: Will share more about school after this post!

We didn’t have a good midnight flight to Seoul because the seat weren’t comfy to rest in. We landed at Incheon airport and we took a mini-van ride prepared for us as part of the package to our Seoul hotel, Vabien Suite II.

After checking in, we headed out to a trendy area called Samchang Dong with indie boutiques, a multi-level F21 building and the best Korean restaurant!

Picture taking along the road/pavement outside the boutiques! It was end of winter season and we’d be shivering as the wind blew~

We were finding a place for lunch and we were judging the stores by their exterior and the number of people in it. We saw that this store was quite popular so we headed in! 😀

Best Korean traditional meal for lunch, 7000won (~USD$7/SGD$10) per set meal.

Korea is FULL of bakeries and cafes!

Our purchases from Petite Baguette, a Paris-inspired bakery nearby our hotel. B loves their milk yougurt and their butter buns are tasty!

After lunch, we headed out to shop at Doota, another trendy shopping haunt with a lot of up and coming local designer stalls, think a more up-class version of Far East plaza in Singapore.

Will now let the pictures do the talking~!

After checking out about 3-4 levels, we had dinner at an Italian restaurant, Il Mare at the mall.

Mighty tired from the day!

Very tasty cheesy honey pizza!

Days 2-4 another time soon!

Uncategorized

Book Recommendation: when God writes your love story by Eric & Leslie Ludy

April 12, 2012 Ena Teo 1 Comment

I just completed reading (skimmed some parts) when God writes your love story. Quite evidently it’s a christian book about love, surrendering your romantic love to God. It’s not unlike other christian books I’ve read before on the topic, like those by Joshua Harris (I Kissed Dating Goodbye, which is another book I’d recommend as well).

But what makes this book different from the rest is one of the concluding chapter, or rather a few chapters about how your family members are “home ground” (pun intended) also referred to as “training ground” for how you would treat your future lover and spouse. And by virtue of that, the authors encourage that if the reader wants to have a happily ever after love story, it begins by respecting the fatherly and brotherly figures at home and being sweet and tender to the motherly and sisterly figures.

So those were the parts that impacted me the most. I don’t have any brothers to practice being respectful of, but I reckon I can always start by being more sweet and tender to my sisters and my mother and respecting my dad. Hehe. Also I have not been helping out much with house chores because my mum doesn’t like me being in her way in the kitchen when I tried to learn to cook before and also I always thought I will hire a helper in future. HAHA. But in any case, I do want to learn to be a more virtuous lady. Hehe.

Umm so while reading the book I also wanted to share a few meaningful parts on my blog. So here goes:

A song titled “Faithfully” by Eric and Leslie Ludy.

Tonight I saw a shooting star
Made me wonder where you are
For years I have been dreaming of you
And I wonder if you’re thinking of me too
In this world of cheap romance
And love that only fades after the dance
They say that i’m a fool to wait for something more
How can I really love someone i’ve never seen before
But I have longed for true love every day that I have lived
And I know that real love is all about learning how to give
So I pray that god will bring you to me
And I pray you’ll find me waiting faithfully

Faithfully, I am yours
From now until forever
Faithfully, I will write
Write you a love song with my life
Cause this kind of loves worth waiting for
No matter how long it takes I am yours
Faithfully

Tonight I saw two lovers kiss
Reminded me of my own loneliness
They say that i’m a fool to keep on praying for you
How can I give up pleasure for a dream that won’t come true
But I will keep believing that god still has a plan
And though I can’t see you now,
I know that he can
And someday I will give you all of me
Until I find you, i’ll be waiting faithfully

Faithfully, I am yours
From now until forever
Faithfully, I will write
Write you a love song with my life
Cause this kind of loves worth waiting for
No matter how long it takes I am yours
Faithfully

You can also hear them sing:

On “The Secret to Winning a Heart”:
The next time you see your brother doing something he excels in, honor him with admiration of his prowess and let hi know that you are proud to be his sister. You will find that the more you verbally invest respect, the more a man will understand how to be respectful himself.

And lastly:

On “Set-Apart Feminity”. It’s an excerpt from Leslie Ludy’s book quoted in this book.
On the flip side, if a woman allows a man to rise to the challenge of pursuing her, wooing her and winning her heart over time, instead of thrusting it upon him too readily, his masculine strength will be tested and strengthened. Once he has pursued and won his prize according to God’s perfect pattern, he is far less likely to take her for granted. Rather, he will become the heroic protector he was created to be – laying down his life to preserve and nurture the heart of the princess whom he worked so hard to win.”

Hope you guys find this enlightening and meaningful as I did.

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New York Skin Solutions Review

April 9, 2012 Ena Teo 48 Comments

I’ve been wanting to review New York Skin Solutions since end of 2011 and I am finally getting down to it! Haha.

If you know me in real life, you might have realized that my skin condition has improved remarkably over the course of the last half a year. And it’s no secret!

I started to diligently take measures to improve my acne-ridden skin from last year but despite drinking water regularly, eating healthily, doing masks at home and exercising (albeit very little) my skin condition wasn’t improving. I was very vexed and frustrated and I decided I will do something about it.

So between seeing a dermatologist, taking medicine that will reduce oil production in the skin glands but at the risk of liver damage and going for facial, I decided I will go for facial.

New York Skin Solutions was having a promotion on the papers then and so I called for a complimentary consultation and treatment and I decided to sign for 20 treatment sessions with them after that first session.

After 2-3 months of about 5 treatments, my skin improved remarkably. The acne marks were slowly fading and what’s better is that the oil glands on my face were kept under control after the treatments have successfully restored the balance of facial glands and hence, lesser acne/pimples!

Although I must stress that while going for facial, I continued to maintain drinking water regularly, eating fresh fruits and vegetables, taking lesser fried and sugary food (especially soft drinks), avoid the sun, put sun block and also taking Evening Primrose Oil supplementary pills nightly. So it’s a multi pronged approach that really restored the balance and health of my skin. ^^,

If you are a guy, (or a teenage girl new to all these skin care regime) you must be pretty awed at the tenacity of what girls like me go through to maintain good skin. The old adage “There is no ugly women, only lazy ones” holds true in the case of good skin care maintenance. Though one can also argue, money is also needed to fund all these, then I’d say go find a job to fund your beauty need(s)! I would say that it’s not cheap, but it’s the best investment I’ve ever made because it solved my skin problems and I have more confidence because I feel less inferior due to my skin condition. Even if you don’t go to NY Skin at the end of my post, I’d still encourage you to start going about resolving your skin condition because it’s worth it. (:

I’d briefly go through what New York Skin Solutions treatment is like and for images, I’d recommend checking on Holly’s blog review on them here.

I visit the New York Skin Solutions branch in Eastpoint Mall. There are many outlets all over Singapore, so if you are keen, give them a ring and ask them where’s the outlet most convenient for you.

If you are like me (in the past) and want to find a solution to your skin problems and you stay in the east, I’d recommend that you give the Eastpoint Mall branch (#04-01) a call at 6789 5566, ask for my beautician Yuki, and say that I (Jia En) referred you to her and you’d received a complimentary consultation and facial treatment. After the session, you can then decide for yourself if you want to sign a package with them or not. I am not paid to do this review for them but for every successful referral/sign up, I would in turn receive one facial treatment for making a successful referral. Yay for you and I, good things should be shared. (;

The consultation will begin with a skin analysis. I am no expert in this area, but I remember my pores were clogged up and that was why my acne and pimple condition persisted. Yuki explained to me that after the treatments, my pores would be cleansed and my skin health restored and my condition would improve. She also mentioned about the collagen of my skin if not properly maintained, would sag, but if properly maintained, it would retain it’s triangular shape. She compared enlarged digital snaps of my then oily facial skin versus my fair and smooth hand skin and I could tell that the condition of face was pretty bad.

The treatment will begin with cleansing then a mask, followed by extraction (of pimples) which will hurt especially at the first few treatments. Then there will be double mask, where they will apply serum/cream depending on your skin condition, a gauze, followed by a cold mask. This cold mask helps to reduce the redness after extraction and it’s especially good for sensitive skin. It’s also my favourite part of the treatment, haha.

My classmate also goes to NY Skin and she testifies that it’s better compared to others she’s been to because the post-treatment redness is the least. It’s true, nowadays after I go for treatment, the redness is barely obvious.

Usually the treatment ends with a neck and shoulder massage but I usually opt out because it’s too ticklish for me.

If you’re wondering how long the whole treatment takes. it’s approximately 1-1.30 hour depending on the speed of the beautician that day, haha. This is how a typical session goes:

Cleansing (15 Min)

Mask (15 Min)

Double Ice Mask (20-30 Min)

Cleansing, Massage, Apply Sun block (15 Min)

So, to end off this review I shall post a pretty pictures as testament to the condition of my skin. post-treatments. HAHA. Actually I’ve been already posting a lot of my post-treatment photos already la, but indulge me. (:

This picture with B was taken in October last year about 2 months after I started going to NY Skin Solutions. The improvement of my skin was really remarkable and really when I started to take a lot of pictures. Haha.

This one’s in Dec last year and it’s when I’ve also stopped applying foundation on my skin because the NY Skin beautician says it clogs pores. So I only apply eyeliner, blusher and occasional lipstick! Besides, with good skin, there’s no need for foundation to cover uneven patches/scars etc. (:

Another pic with B, so you can see an up close picture of my face, taken in Jan this year. Again, it’s only eye liner and blusher here. I have pretty bad eye bags… from all my ill-disciplined late nights. Sobs. I need to really discipline myself to sleep early.

Another pic in Feb. Skin here looks really good. HAHA. Okay, but also because it’s taken with B’s magical Casio TR 100 Camera. With the awesome function, we look super good in them. HAHA.

Which leads me to… I will compose another post titled “Cheat sheet” to pretty profile pictures. HEHE. Mostly involves IPhone and wonderful IPhone Apps! (:

Hope you enjoyed this post! Comment if you have any questions and I will get back to you.

New York Skincare Solutions Update (enabalista.com)

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On love

March 20, 2012 Ena Teo Leave a comment

Feels like I haven blogged in ages!

Been wanting to update about my “secret” to good skin and Korean trip but been very busy the last two weeks! My schedule won’t be letting up any time soon but I will have to make time to update my blog consistently (:

Was going to sleep but had the impetus to blog about my take on love.

I’ve been single so far in my life and it isn’t to say that I’m particular picky but perhaps that I just have not met the right guy… That I am also the right girl for.

Everyone’s entitled to their own opinions on love, though I suspect many don’t actually have one. Mostly just going with the flow, following their hearts.

Perhaps if I were younger and had been in a relationship that’s exactly what I’d done but now that I’m older and hopefully wiser, it’s harder to just follow my emotions. – I’m not sad about it, in fact it’s quite the contrary.

I am glad I do not feel the pressure to be attached because all my friends are or have already been attached. There are several reasons, I am emotionally assured from the love I have from God and my family and I am kept very busy with school, church and school related activities.

It’s not to say that I’m different from the others, as I do desire for love. But perhaps unlike others, I seek not for a grand love that moves mountains or blaze forests. Rather I seek for a love that is like a quiet stream, like in Psalms 23. Confident in its steady flowing, it doesn’t flood nor dries, but it ebbs on with time. It quenches, nurtures, restores and grants rest. I’d like a love like that.

Maybe more in the future. For now, go love and be loved my dear friends! Haha. (;

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Fab Feb

February 25, 2012 Ena Teo 2 Comments

The week after CNY, my cell group and I head to Sentosa for an outing! Organized by Xue, we headed for Luge and Skyride. It was Russ’s last outing with us before he flew to Aussie for school.

Us before the Luge rides in our helmets and during the Skyrides! (:

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Random pics with the girls at school!

With B for tea at ION during class breaks… Capturing her in her poses!

With the girls in the meeting room, where B and I booked tickets for our trip to Korea NEXT WEEK!!! 😀

With the girls on V’s jeep. Paiseh I know the yellow cartoon background v unbefitting of the cool car and girls but.. cute what right!

With the lovely V. I cheat, our faces are post-processed on my phone and thus we look fair like fairies. HAHA. Next time I share my secret to good skin and pretty pictures ok?!

More selcas with V, on the ride back to school from lunch!

Undeniably school has been major fun with the girls. <3

This week has been fantastic, God’s grace been so abundant. Firstly B and I managed to book tickets to Korea despite the rule that we were supposed to book 21 days in advance. Secondly after 1 long and stressful week I finally manage to confirm model and timing for Trans. Lab shoot. It’s been majorly postponed as somethings are not within my control. The stress’s not over yet but I’ll do what I need/can and trust God for the growth and blessings.

Today’s the only weekday I got back home before the sun’s out and it felt surreal. I appreciate my busy schedule, it’s a blessing to be able to have a fulfilling life. It felt real good to crash on my bed for a 3 hour nap after the long week.

Had the pleasure to assist Lucinda in her solo exhibition on Wednesday, will post some pictures soon! Next week will be major fun. Loads to work to clear before I head for the hols!!! But oh what fun! 😀

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CNY 2012!

February 24, 2012 Ena Teo Leave a comment

How was your CNY? I’ve been wanting to blog about mine… but kept neglecting to. :/

I felt this year’s CNY was less exciting. In terms of visiting family and friends. But I greatly enjoyed visitations with my church friends! (:

No pre-CNY reunion dinner is complete without steamboat! This one was particularly good, thanks to my mum!

Multi-coloured nails to usher in the new year… Against my desk while I was working on school’s CPJ – creative process journal.

First day of CNY, with friends in church. Here with Estella!

2nd day of CNY my family and I visited my grandma’s place, here seen with my aunt and her children and my sister.

Met up with friends Ian, Martin, Dafril and Joshua over at Shane’s place. We had loads of fun playing Xbox, till we had no time for movie! hahaha. ^^

At Amy’s place, her fairly newly adopted handsome son, Muffy!

That’s all for this year’s CNY…

Loads of pics to upload for Feb… went to Luge with churchies and random selcas with my girls in school. 😛

Fashion

Korean Drama X Modern Fashion Feb SS 2012

February 16, 2012 Ena Teo 2 Comments

If you don’t already know, I am a huge fan of korean drama and what better post is there than combining two of my life’s greatest interest, korean drama and fashion together?! ^^

I am an avid korean drama recap reader. LOL. I loyally follow Dramabeans, Koalasplayground and Soulsrebel websites for their Kdrama and TWdrama updates. But due to my busy schedule, I tend to only read recaps unless the drama is really good, or it’s my holidays than I will spend the time to watch the drama online.

There are currently two fantastic korean dramas showing, the first a sageuk (period drama) titled “The Moon Embracing the Sun” and the second “Shut Up Flower Boys Band”. I’d admit they are lousy titles, but I love what they wear! The first for their beautiful, elaborate, vibrant-coloured, silk royal garb and the second for their too cool for school rocker looks and preppy uniforms. <3

The Moon Embracing the Sun Poster.

I especially love the intricate details on the shoulders of the King and the Queen (left two). Cultural heritage makes great fashion.

I love the vibrant yellows, pinks, purple and blue colours.

The hanbok in lovely pink/purple and green/purple combination. Might be too much if paired in this combination today but totally possible to pull off for a daring, stylish fashionista.

As seen in contemporary fashion, here in Alexander McQueen’s FW 2010, the last collection designed by himself, presented post-humously. He was inspired by the western culture and details here, but I can totally imagine if a chinese/korean designer adapts the Oriental designs for modern wear! But of course, the designs would be more suitable for haute couture, or more formal attire.

Bright cheery emerald green dress by Victoria Beckham selling on Net-a-porter here. Definitely a great colour to herald the Spring… (:

Metallic encasing gem YSL rings are all the rage in the fashion world. Retailing at $390 in-stores in Singapore now. Gems come in many lovely colours and metal ring in gold or silver. The big, bold and royal is definitely in vogue!

MCQ Alexander McQueen Kingsland Vinyl Tote retailing here.

Assad Mounser Shiprock gold plated multichain retailing here. I am loving the multi chain, summer coloured accessory. Tres chic.

For a similar look that is more accessible locally, check out Bimba & Lola at Orchard ION. Their necklaces have this very candy, seemingly DIY quality to it that is very attention grabbing.

Bimba & Lola necklace… I got this off the website, but the ones in store are different, just to illustrate the uniqueness of their necklaces.

Going on to Kdrama number 2… Shut Up Flower Boys Band.

Boys looking cute in their rocker band look. I dig this look… a lot. Haha. Style notes: silver multi chain necklace and rings, best in cross and skulls motifs, layered look with leather jackets and scarfs (unfortunately so not possible in all year summer Singapore, sobs), skinny jeans.

Just needed to post a picture of this rookie newbie in the show, Jo Bo-ah, age is not found online. She is so pretty.

The preppy school look is a classic look…

Burberry Pre-Fall 2012.

More boyish looks from Balenciaga’s Spring 2012 Menswear.

Rock the look with…

Alexander Wang bags

I hope I’ve inspired you to 1. Watch the korean dramas 2. Gain some fashion tips for your Spring Summer 2012. 3. Realize that you can pick up fashion tips from korean drama… or any well styled drama! 😉

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Relaxing Port Dickson Vacation

February 11, 2012 Ena Teo 1 Comment

Back in early January, my sisters and I headed to Port Dickson Avillion Admiral Cove hotel for a short weekend vacation! It was a Groupon vacation, which we paid $88 per pax. Worth it I’d say, for the lovely place. Definitely more worth it than Batam! The lovely view from the hotel lobby… The hotel lobby. View of our hotel room… which is nice and spacious. From the balcony. Port Dickson is mostly a tourist location in Malaysia, famous for it’s beautiful beach, water sports and holiday resorts. There isn’t much to shop or do otherwise. We spent our time there mostly relaxing. We found this nice food stall in the city about 15 min car ride away from the hotel for our meals there. My sisters, Jia Hui and Lu Jia. <3 I thank God for my sisters!

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Picnic by the Bay

February 11, 2012 Ena Teo Leave a comment

If you haven’t, hopefully you will set out for a picnic by the bay after this post!

It was quite a spontaneous picnic gathering, organized just the day before. With a small group of church friends we decided to pot luck and head out for a day of fun at Esplanade by the bay! 🙂

Sandwich, chicken sausages and soft drinks.

With Claire, Jerome, Ernest and Matthieu.

Posing against the beautiful skyline.

Like a Hollywood movie!

The scenic view… a tourist attraction.

Ernest thirsty for some water…

Matthieu’s fight against the Merlion. Hehe.

And Jerome wish to collect some home…

At the Esplanade library… The boys and their dance moves.

—

During the following Saturday, Benji cell decided to head to Aston’s at East Coast for dinner, instead of the usual Hawker fare. (:

Xue li and I with our respective meals.

Russ, Ming and Vivien.

Several more posts to come… Photos from my trip to Port Dickson, snippets of CNY, Museum visits and goofing around with girls in school.

I hope your year has been going great! (:

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2011 in Review

January 15, 2012 Ena Teo Leave a comment

Coming in two weeks late…

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 6,100 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

I just wanna thank everyone who’s been reading and commenting on my blog! 🙂

2011 has been a great year blog wise – I think I garnered more readers than I’ve ever had in all my previous blogging years combined. My blog has always been a personal blog with a focus on Fashion and it’ll continue to stay this way. 🙂

In my personal spiritual life it’s also been a fruitful and encouraging year. I finally came out of a year long figurative hermit shell. And I really want to thank my sisters – Lu Jia, Jia Hui, my parents and my mentor Aunty Mei Yoke (although I think she probably won’t be reading this – for praying for and with me all through it. Needless to say, I truly thank God for always being there for me – even during times I did not want to recognize because it was painful to. This year… I want to go back to the first love I had for God. :’)

Socially speaking it has been rather surprising to have met wonderful new friends through my french class and my internship at CDL. I am thankful. Relationally… I think I have not been maintaining a lot of my friendships well because of our conflicting schedules and this is an area I would like to improve on in this new year. 🙂

With Sofie (in blue) and friends.

With lovely Annabel. It’s pretty amazing how well we got along together during my CDL internship.:)

With Jacq and Char, friends of Annabel. This was the first of many a girls night out we had in 2011. 🙂

Academically and career-path wise, I have learnt much through my three internships. I have learnt much in the fashion and real-estate industries respectively. There were mistakes I’ve made and which I am still learning from but God and my bosses and supervisors have been very merciful to say the least. I know I won’t want to settle for a 9-5 desk bound job and if you know what you want, why not go ahead and just do it? I think there is nothing worse than going to work at 9am on the first day of the year just waiting for 5pm of the day till your holiday starts again. Idealistic, I know, but I hope you and I both can pursue careers that are we are passionate for, challenged by and earns a profitable income from.

All glory to God! May our 2012 be brighter, better and bear more beautiful memories than before.

With love,

Jia En

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My 2011 Christmas ;)

January 12, 2012 Ena Teo Leave a comment

Hello ! Hope your January is starting out well… whether you are at school or at work!

I meant to post up photos from my Christmas celebration with my cell group but… I realize the pictures are not with me and it’s kind of late for it anyways. So.. just one cute shot of the really pretty and tasty cookies baked by Claire’s mum! 😉

I had Christmas eve dinner with my sister, Claire and Xue li at Aston’s. 😉

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On the 30th Dec, (after my last day of internship!) I headed down to Singapore Recreational Club @ Padang to meet Jean – friend of Khai and Sofie. It was Sofie’s birthday party and Khai sweetly prepared a surprise party for her at the hotel. It was very smart of Khai to request Jean to decorate the room before hand. Haha. 🙂

With the beautiful Sofie !

Sofie and her fiance, Khai. They are getting married coming November!

Stunning couple… 😉

With Stacey and Sofie.With the girls – Jean, Stacey, Sofie and Cassey!The beautiful city skyscraper scene from SRC president’s hotel room.

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It feels good to be back in school… But we were thrown a curve ball – a multi-specialism group project to be completed in 5 days! Having to juggle school, real estate night lessons, Transmission lab art exhibition video project and church commitments requires a lot of discipline and energy and somedays the stress gets to me.

But on the up side, God answered my prayer by giving me a very lovely group of project-mates and even though due to some unexpected circumstances some work was delayed, we are still carrying through this project with a positive spirit !!! 😀

Praying and wishing everyone all the best for the project!!! Wish me all the best and break a leg! Hahahaha. x)

Ena Teo | Enabalista

Blueprint Singapore 2012 | Asia’s Fashion Gateway

Timo Weiland Fossil Print Cutout Tank (Grey) available at USD 185.00 here.

Timo Weiland Fossil Print Shirt Dress available at USD USD 442.00 here.

Timo Weiland Shirt Dress w/ Lace Trim available at USD 450.00 here.

Transmission Lab | Kaleidoscope 2012

100 Friends 100 Artists 100 Inspirations & More

Onward Japanese Fashion Show | ICB, DipDrops & Rosebullet

Philippines Trip 2012 | Beautiful People, Sweet Memories

Sponsored Review: Mentholatum’s New Organic Lip Balm Range

Chanel Spring Summer 2012 Runway Fashion Runway in Singapore

Super Seoul Day 3 & 4

Shopper’s Paradise // Super Seoul Day 2

Sponsored Review: Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing UV Milk

Best Romantic Destinations in the U.S!

Now or Never // Super Seoul Day 1

Book Recommendation: when God writes your love story by Eric & Leslie Ludy

New York Skin Solutions Review

On love

Fab Feb

CNY 2012!

Korean Drama X Modern Fashion Feb SS 2012

Relaxing Port Dickson Vacation

Picnic by the Bay

2011 in Review

My 2011 Christmas ;)

Singapore's Lifestyle Blogger ☀

Timo Weiland Fossil Print Cutout Tank (Grey) available at USD 185.00 here.

Timo Weiland Fossil Print Shirt Dress available at USD USD 442.00 here.

Timo Weiland Shirt Dress w/ Lace Trim available at USD 450.00 here.

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