A chance encounter with this quintessentially British label has made a big fan out of moi, my friends and colleagues. I used to be an ardent fan of the english romantic label LAURA ASHLEY but Cath Kidston has swiftly taken over its place and now ranks high on my "to buy" list. Japan now boasts at least 3 stores so I am pining away for them to set up at least one store here in Singapore! I would be the first to join them in a flash. This store would give me a chance to use all the fashion, visual merchandising and retail skills garnered from my colorful career in the past decade. The candy inspired colors, childlike graphics are like the equivalent of Roald Dahl's stories to the world. Serve up english florals on endearing pastels, throw in age old polka dot classics, jazz things up with some stars, stripes and florals and there you have it! An irresistible getaway for the urban romantics out there! This is the reason why me and my friends stalk out Kinokuniya bookstores for the latest Cath Kidston magazines, and freebies bundled along with it.
Its much cheaper to buy them from Tokyo itself but be prepared to lug back the heavy magazines along with your spanking new Cath K freebies! While the popular "Fie Japan" accessory shops here bring in a limited range of Cath's goodies at considerably marked up prices, I much prefer going online to check out the loot or make my usual pitstops at the Daikanyama or Maranouchi stores for a quick browse. I am so enamoured with my LONDON print box bag purchase in my Tokyo trip in Dec 2009. This roomy bag is made from oilcloth and absolutely great for keeping my belongings dry during rainy days. Perfect for the gloomy and rainy weather of London.Sign up for the free catalogue so you can savour the latest must-have collections in your idle moments on the train or in a queue.
Its much cheaper to buy them from Tokyo itself but be prepared to lug back the heavy magazines along with your spanking new Cath K freebies! While the popular "Fie Japan" accessory shops here bring in a limited range of Cath's goodies at considerably marked up prices, I much prefer going online to check out the loot or make my usual pitstops at the Daikanyama or Maranouchi stores for a quick browse. I am so enamoured with my LONDON print box bag purchase in my Tokyo trip in Dec 2009. This roomy bag is made from oilcloth and absolutely great for keeping my belongings dry during rainy days. Perfect for the gloomy and rainy weather of London.Sign up for the free catalogue so you can savour the latest must-have collections in your idle moments on the train or in a queue.
While Cath Kidston is for the hopeless romantic filled with childlike wonder, Kate Spade fills the need for clean and bold design and striking colors amongst the well-heeled fashionista. Strong contrasting colors like its signature green and pink combo. Both labels have inspired such a strong desire for these colors that I have picked out yarns in the closest possible shades to make my very own version of Cath or Kate collectibles. My trial and error sessions over the past year have given birth to items like ipod, iphone and camera pouches, buttons, rosettes. With the help of a fellow crafter who introduced me to the wonderful world of freeform, I also discovered tge joys of creating as we go with yarn scraps that can be transformed into works of art with a little bit of imagination, a good eye for color and lots of patience.
I am just itching to showcase my creations and start to take orders for customised items for the x'mas gift giving frenzy just months down the road. I just have to get them photographed nicely before loading them up for your viewing / shopping pleasure. My crochet works aim to put some fun back into accessories. My crochet pieces are centred quality wool yarns to ensure the best hand feel and color combinations.
Customisation is gaining popularity and previously limited to once in a lifetime occassion like weddings. Now even brands like TIMBERLAND are recognising that well-travelled and fashion savvy shoppers these days appreciate just that extra exclusivity with custom matched colors/trims/etc.. Put some personality into your bag/outfit. Couture is not so daunting after all. Bespoke on a budget is now much easier to achieve with a little bit of creativity, and some clever manipulation of colors, patterns and theme.
One can never have enough accessories as they can update our wardrobe or decor with the latest trends in small doses while being friendly on the pocket at the same time. I started making my own accessories out of boredom and also as a way to destress after a hard day's work and I believe I have inherited the traits of my grandfather who is very good with handiwork. He made his own fishing nets, bamboo containers, etc... Crafting with your hands gives you a kind a satisfaction that not only satisfies the sense of sight but also that of touch. The pattern created from the yarns provide a different texture that heightens the sense of touch on our fingertips when we are blindly looking for something in our bottomless bags. There is a major movement in abroad on supporting handmade creations called "Buy Handmade". Items crafted by hand will always have that extra touch that is missing from commercially profit driven goods sold at cheaper prices to get the biggest market share. Even online sites like ETSY (founded by Robert Kalin) is now valued at 9 billion whopping dollars with the plethora of crafters eager to peddle their wares online. Having an online shop is irresistible as this shop opens 24 hours on end for shoppers in every corner of the world who has access to internet. Beats the high rentals, inventory and staffing problems that typical shopowners face in the fickle retail economy of today!
So get those fingers moving and support handmade today!
