Herschel’s Collection of Luggage and Carryalls Are Perfect For The Discerning Traveller

The Herschel Supply often gets associated with their popular and ever-reliable backpacks such as the Little America and Heritage, but while their backpacks are still as popular as ever, the brand has been expanding its product offerings and its travel collection encapsulates everything we love about Herschel.

Recently launched, Herschel expanded on its travel line by introducing carryalls including a Travel Daypack, Travel Backpack and Travel Tote. The designs are beautifully minimal, making it appropriate for both business and leisure travel. 

Made for the modern traveller, the collection includes well-thought-out features such as 15” padded fleeced-line sleeves for laptop and tablet carriers, stowable backpack straps for those who appreciate a clean silhouette, and luggage trolley sleeves that allow it to sit atop your luggage.

Speaking of luggage, Herschel’s existing hard-shell luggage line perfectly complements your travels with its sturdy exterior and new colourways for the season. These hard-shells come in three sizes, depending on your duration of travel. There are variants that feature bold colours, striking print designs, such as floral on black, and a distinctive night camo.

Herschel Trade Luggage Colourways in Medium & Large

If you normally find yourself in need of a phone charger, the Trade Power Small and Carry-On luggage options feature an internal battery and USB outlet for easy charging. 

Herschel Trade Luggage Power, equipped with an internal battery

Complete the set with travel accessories such as travel wallets, neck pillows, bedroom slippers and pouches. 

Herschel Travel Accessories

For a closer look at the Herschel travel collection, head down to Herschel Supply Co’s stores at Funan Mall (#01-22/23) and Marina Square (#02-160), or check out Herschel’s Facebook Page.

Introducing SFB Clothing, The S’porean Streetwear Brand That’s About To Take The Region By Storm

If you’ve been an avid fan of Singapore’s dance scene over the last decade or so, the name ‘Styles From Beyond’ shouldn’t sound all that foreign to you. Having pioneered Singapore’s street dance culture since the early 2000s, SFB has now positioned itself as an innovative streetwear brand, poised to take on the local and regional fashion scene.

According to the crew, the move from dance to fashion began when they started selling designed tees as merchandise to their followers, garnering significant traction and acclaim. From there, the natural progression to street fashion was an easy decision given the close affiliations between the two.

[caption id="attachment_3765" align="alignnone" width="1194"] Image: SFB[/caption]

Image: SFB Clothing[/caption]

SFB’s clarity and focus in creative direction is exemplified in its sophomore collection, The Essence. While exploring the four elements of Earth, Wind, Fire and Water, the brand found its inspiration in the first.

“The colour scheme of The Essence was set when we started digging into the four elements and found our stimulus through Earth: Sand, Charcoal and Himalayan Pink Crystal Salt (which was later renamed as Salmon),” added Merza.

[caption id="attachment_3759" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Image: SFB Clothing[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3760" align="alignnone" width="3271"] Image: SFB Clothing[/caption]

“With these three materials setting the colour scheme, the adjoining motion would be to cradle our intent to produce cutting-edge and “out of the box” models.”

These models include a range of well-made and carefully-constructed oversized tees and muscle hoodies, that have since been spotted on well-known names including the likes of Narelle Kheng, Joe Flizzow, DJ Ollie’des, Ellie Tan, Karisa Sukamto and Dennis Yin.

A post shared by relle (@narellekheng) on

A post shared by ELLIE 🌹ELL4D (@ell4d) on

While only available online in Singapore at the moment, SFB Clothing plans on expanding across Southeast Asia, encouraged by growing demand from Malaysia, Brunei and Thailand. The brand also plans on breaking into South Korea and Japan to seal its mark as an international fashion establishment, and are welcoming brands in these markets to collaborate.

As for this year, the ever-growing market for streetwear products in the region isn’t shrinking anytime soon and SFB isn’t resting on the laurels either.

“We’re currently in the works of assembling a new collection for 2017, one that provides staples and comfort, using classic sports wear silhouettes and fabric to accomodate Singapore’s tropical climate, concocted with a blend of streetwear style and contemporary designs,” said Dew Francis, head of marketing at SFB Clothing.

Be sure to check out SFB Clothing’s online store here.

Sole Superior Returns This November at Zouk Singapore

Singapore’s premier sneaker and streetwear convention Sole Superior returns for its fourth year this November.

The annual convention has been making waves across the years, gaining recognition both locally and globally for providing Singapore’s street culture a platform to shine and be celebrated.

[caption id="attachment_1818" align="alignnone" width="1024"]69 Sole Superior 2015[/caption]

This year’s edition will see the event take up the entire Zouk complex with an expected increase in turnout. It also marks the last time Zouk’s Jiak Kim location will be used for the event before the popular nightlife hotspot moves to its new home in Clarke Quay.

Sneakerheads can feast their eyes – and wallets – on the countless booths of the rarest, freshest and priciest kicks all under one roof.

[caption id="attachment_1821" align="alignnone" width="1024"]12 Sole Superior 2015[/caption]

Besides sneakers, other highlights include live DJ sets by .Wav(y) and free tattoos (like legit permanent ink) by top artists Alfrey Tattoo and Kelvin Monster.

There will also be exclusive event merchandise in limited numbers including a collaboration with Pras The Bandit and 30 hand-screened T-shirts with Mister Tucks.

[caption id="attachment_1819" align="alignnone" width="1024"]1-2 Sole Superior 2015[/caption]

The event takes place on November 12 (Sat) with tickets going for S$10 (pre-event) and S$20 (event day).

Interested parties can get their pre-event tickets , The Analog Vault, Goodluck Bunch and Event details:
Date: 12th November 2016
Time: 1pm to 7pm
Venue: Zouk Singapore

‘Movember’ vs ‘No-Shave November’ – Yes, There’s a Difference

With November looming upon us, men from all over the world are ditching their razors in favour of growing out their facial hair for a valid excuse.

‘Movember’ or ‘No-Shave November’ has become a modern-day tradition amongst men to show off their creativity in the form of their beards and moustaches.

The tradition however may have begun to lose its roots with newer generations of men taking on the practice more as a ‘bandwagon’ exercise than the cause it was intended to serve.

Here are some things you should know about Movember and No-Shave November.

They’re not the same thing

While I was researching for the topic, I was surprised as were my colleagues to learn that Movember and No-Shave November were not one in the same.

The two often get used interchangeably to describe the same tradition, but their origins, mechanism and causes differ by quite a bit.

While both events support the need to raise awareness of men’s health issues, they actually focus on different diseases and function slightly differently as well.

Movember

Movember began in Melbourne, Australia in 2003 by a pair of mates who wondered whether they could bring the moustache trend back into fashion. A year later, they took the stunt a step further to raise awareness about Prostate Cancer and to raise funds for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA).

In 2004 alone, they raised approximately AUD$54,000, the largest single donation received by the PCFA at the time.

Contrary to popular belief, Movember is solely focused on moustaches, and works by getting others to donate based on the efforts of their ‘Mo Bros’ during the month.

Participants can sign up on their website and dedicate an entire month to growing and shaping the most creative moustache, garnering attention and donations in the mean time.

The Movember Foundation is now in over 20 countries and has expanded their causes to Testicular Cancer and Mental Health Issues, having raised over US$650 million and funded over 1,200 projects to save and improve the lives of men globally.

No-Shave November

No-Shave November, on the other hand, is a separate organisation that motivates people to forego shaving for the month and donate what they would have otherwise spent on razors, shaving cream or the barber.

Participants are not limited to just moustaches and can go wild with beards and side-burns. Women can also participate by choosing not to shave their legs.

The organisation began as a Facebook initiative in 2009 and focuses on benefitting cancer research, not just limited to prostate and testicular.

In 2013, the organisation entered a partnership with the American Cancer Society. Since then, the organisation has generated over US$1,400,000 for the American Cancer Society.

Either one works 

On a whole, despite their differences, participating in either will go a long way in contributing towards men’s health issues.

According to

The Weeknd Joins PUMA As Creative Collaborator and Ambassador

The Weeknd PUMA

The Weeknd has announced a partnership with PUMA as the brand’s Creative Collaborator and Global Brand Ambassador.

The Canadian pop star will make his first appearance for the brand in its upcoming “Run The Streets” campaign.

The singer joins PUMA’s roster of celebrity partners including Rihanna, Kylie Jenner and most recently Cara Delevingne.

A photo posted by The Weeknd (@theweeknd) on

The news comes days after The Weeknd released the music video to his latest single Starboy, featuring Daft Punk. His new album is due to launch on November 25.

While best known for his music, this isn’t The Weeknd’s first rodeo in the fashion game. He previously collaborated with Alexander Wang on the WangXO collection last year.

Research Says Men With This Facial Quality Are More Attractive To Women

A guy’s typical morning routine often involves a good facial wash and a decent shave. Well it turns out men who are seeking long-term partners should probably do without the latter.

A recent study in the asian-men-beard-styles-1024x680(Image credit: hipster-beard-meme-07

Health and parenting skills

A preceding study three years ago in the journal  found that beards are able to block almost 95 per cent of harmful UV rays, which would reduce the likelihood of skin cancer.

Ditch the razor

If you ever needed a reason to skip a shave and rock out with a goatee, here you go. It’s about time to prep for Movember anyway.

 

Featured image by Jonathan Kos-Read

Sneakers To Kill It On A Night Out

Singapore is a pretty sweaty place.  Menswear is inherently reductive and minimalist in nature here.  Blazers and cardigans may give you an edge to your look, if there were actually seasons outside of ridiculously hot and humid.  The classic t-shirt and jeans combination is the way to go, but is pretty standard fare too.  So how do you make something that looks fairly ordinary a little more unique?

Here are 5 brands that bring about a re-imagining.  For starters, they sit outside the Nike-Adidas-New Balance axis that dominates the sneaker narrative.  As a disclaimer, the majority of my list are high-tops.  It is true that high-tops are not that common.  If anything, low-tops are the general trend.  This may be the established order of things, but these shoes make the most of their size.  They are big on comfort, while able to fuse their graphic designs with vibrant colours.  Yes, low-tops are easy to fit into your look and are reflected in how easy they are to find.  However, they do not require you to up your game to pull them off.  There is nothing wrong with trying to fit into the norm.

My value proposition is simple.  The article says to kill it, not fit in, like any other sod.  If you want to challenge the established order – then lead the charge – there are pumped up kicks out there which take the game to the next level.

1) Creative Recreation (CR)

CR LOGO 07

Creative Recreation (CR) shoes come in a whole swathe of street art inspired designs.  These shoes are bold, with a variety of colours and textures which fit perfectly in an urban environment.  Founded in LA in 2002, CR’s designs have continued to push the boundaries with their mixture of high-top and low-top designs.  The CR logo on the sides and the back give these shoes an edge.  Nike’s Air Jordan may have an iconic look, but they have nothing on CR if you are looking at the beauty of aesthetic symmetry.  [Writer’s note: A disclaimer that I do have a vested interest, since I own four pairs of these.]

06f926b2635de97d8478c98571bd4161Nostra Black/Red (Creative-Recreation-Mens-Sneakers-FENELLI-CR31533-Grey-Light-Blue-Pic3Fenelli Grey Suede (121873
Cesario Lo XVI (

Radii (pronounced Ray-dee-i) first came into the public eye when Jay-Z rocked up in a pair of high-top 420s during the release of Blueprint 3.  Headquartered in Southern California, Radii footwear usually have distinctively long velcro or buckle straps for fastening.  If those ridiculously long straps did not work, it may very well have looked its place as part of a bondage S&M outfit.  However, Radii shoes are no joke.  With the right accompaniment, these understated but quirky shoes stands apart from the generic nature of most sneakers.  Bulky and boot-like, these high-tops need skinny jeans for maximum effect.  Just to highlight one perceived negative, one of the other famous proponents of these shoes are Justin Bieber. [Writer’s Note: Radii’s cool factor has seriously decreased with the Beliebers’ presence.]

Radii-Sneaker

Original 420 in white (

Straitjacket VLC in Blue (

Straitjacket 420 in Black/White/Red (

Heyday shoes are versatile and enjoy a strong following in the US from bodybuilders, fitness junkies and trendsetters. The brand itself has proclaimed it as being perfect for moving from “leg day to date night”.  Heyday’s designs are definitely experimental in nature.  You do not need to be wearing these in the gym to stand out!  A critic may well pull out the – “What is with the number of straps, are you a child?” – but across the board, who is to say that there are no casualties when you push the boundaries?

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Red Prime Trainer Gym Sneaker (source)

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X Oak Super Deb (

Prime Trainer Aqua/Black/Grey Gym Sneakers (source)

 

4) Greedy Geniusdoboy

Greedy Genius shoes are the true wild card of the deck.  These shoes can come in colours and shapes, which are pretty bonkers.  Reminiscent of Pharrell Williams’ Ice Cream brand skate shoes, but less garish, the most popular design is the Ocean Runner series, which features a “boat-shaped” design.  Still, shoes which are pretty niche will gain a steady following if they are cool.  To be concise about this point, Jamie Foxx has rocked these.  End of story.  These shoes are hard to find and rare, given their limited production, but are well worth it!

greedy-genius-ocean-runner-europe-2

Ocean Runner X Red (

Wingtip Hi (

Skater shoes may be so 2000s, but the punkish skater look definitely comes and goes in cycles.  What I really like about these shoes, you do not need a skateboard to rock them.  Fallen’s designs are minimalist and understated, with a sharp finish.  They also happen to be the only pair that falls outside my high-top snobbery.  There are some similarities to Fred Perry in how these shoes are relatively flat, which means that they do sit better at the end of your jeans.  The black Slash II design in particular features neon-knitted inscription, with contrast green soles.  These shoes are now seriously limited in quantity, because Fallen has stopped production.

fallen-slash-2-shoes-black-mint-4.1469370956Slash II Black/Mint (source)

rds-fallen-shoe

RDS Fallen Patriot Black/Blood Red (

What’s So Special About Uniqlo’s Global Flagship Store In Singapore?

Uniqlo Global Flagship Store Singapore

If you’ve been following the news lately, you’re probably aware of the opening of Uniqlo’s Global Flagship Store in Singapore on September 2.

The store will be the first of its kind in Singapore and Southeast Asia, signalling Uniqlo’s focus on expansion globally and in the region.

With the presence of 24 existing Uniqlo stores around Singapore, many are wondering what makes the flagship store different from the rest.

Here are some of the key highlights from Uniqlo’s Global Flagship Store in Singapore that sets it apart.

1) Largest store in the region

Not only will the Singapore Global Flagship store be the largest in the country, it’s set to be the biggest in Southeast Asia. The store will take up three levels at Orchard Central, amounting to 29,000 square feet of floor space. It will also hold the largest product line-up in the region, including the full range of its LifeWear line, to maximise the space of the store.

The store will on par with other flagship stores in New York’s Fifth Avenue, London’s Oxford Street and Ginza, Tokyo.

2) Largest number of digital displays in a Uniqlo store worldwide

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Source

The store will hold 286 digital screens, more than any other Uniqlo store globally. The screens will continuously play a video reel of local talents including Mary Ho and Juffrie Friday. Customers can also be featured on the screens by posting a picture of themselves with the hashtag #yourstagenowlive.

3) State of the art window displays

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The Singapore flagship store will incorporate a switchable film function on the outdoor glass displays, the first of its kind amongst Uniqlo stores around the world.

The function will allow mannequins on the Orchard Road-facing window displays to appear and disappear within a split second, a feat for passersby along Orchard Road.

4) The Good Neighbour Guide #SupportLocalSG

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If you’re a fan of Uniqlo’s UT – short for Uniqlo T-shirt, there is dedicated UT corner on the first floor, featuring exclusive designs not found in the other 24 stores in Singapore. These designs are a result of collaborations with Olympia Le-Tan, Bruno Funari, SPRZ NY, and pop music artiste Pharrell.

There will also be Singapore-exclusive designs such as one featuring Mickey Mouse with the Merlion.

6) Exclusive Cashmere Line

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Besides shopping, Uniqlo will be holding workshops for a range of creative arts from September 16 to 18.

The workshops will include classes on floral arrangements with Floral Magic, watercolour painting with local artist Lucinda Law and creating moss terrariums with Mossingarden.

8) Exclusive Opening Specials

If you’re unashamedly kiasu, the store opening on September 2 will have exclusive opening specials including free welcome gift bags and a lucky dip with a grand prize of a 3D2N stay Lloyd’s Inn (The Business Room).

14045909_1188722481200052_6597038821128282895_nUniqlo’s Global Flagship Store Singapore opens at 10AM on September 2, 2016.

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Instagram Introduces Zoom Feature So You No Longer Have To Squint

Instagram Zoom

In a string of new feature rollouts over the last couple of months, Instagram is now launching a zoom feature to allow users to take a closer look into photos posted on the social network.

The zoom function will allow users to expand portions of images and videos on their feed, on profiles and on Explore.

The function is currently only available on iOS and will be coming to Android over the coming weeks.

A video posted by Instagram (@instagram) on

While zooming images and videos will come as a welcomed addition, it does reveal pixels and there is no way to keep an image or video zoomed in – images snap back to their actual size once the user lets go of the screen.

The last six months has seen Instagram introduce a new love-it-or-hate-it logo and a brand new look and feel, minimising colours to black and white within their app to allow images to pop.

The Facebook subsidiary also rolled out their Stories function which looked suspiciously similar to Snapchat, allowing users to post short video clips onto their profiles that last for 24 hours.

Style Guide: Best Pomades For The Everyday Gentleman

Pomade Singapore Malaysia

If you’ve been to a barber shop lately, chances are you’re familiar with pomades. For the unacquainted however, pomades are these magical grease-like substance that turn your hair from looking like an overused toothbrush to the fine locks of David Beckham.

Unlike other hair products like wax or gels, pomades can be quite hard to find in ordinary drug stores and are mostly manufactured by brands you may not have heard of.

Pomades not only make it easy to shape your hair, they wash off instantly when rinsed while keeping your hair in place for most of the day. Most importantly, unlike wax or sprays, pomades don’t flake off like waxes do towards the end of the day.

With Southeast Asia’s hot and humid weather, it’s always recommended to opt for stronger hold options. If that doesn’t work, touch of hairspray might do the trick if you spent most of your time outdoors.

Here are some of the best pomades in the market and where you can find them.

 1) Reuzel Red

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Imperial_ClassicPomade_Main_NEW

Source

Packed with the scent of watermelon, Imperial’s Classic Pomade claims to be the “America’s strongest holding water-based pomade” and we’re inclined to agree.  Similar to the Reuzel, the Classic Pomade allows you to adjust the strength of its hold based on the dampness of your hair. It also allows you to restyle your hair by applying a gentle amount of water. The pomade also runs very smoothly through dry hair, a quality which most pomades struggle with. A thicker texture than most, the Imperial Classic Pomade is surely one to consider if you’re one to recomb or restyle half-way through the day.

Price: SGD33

Where to Buy:
3) Layrite Super Hold

layrite-super-hold-pomadePrice: SGD28 / RM75

Where to Buy:
KL Greaser (Malaysia)

4) Uppercut Deluxe 

uppercut_deluxe_pomade_2-1250KL Greaser (Malaysia)

5) American Crew

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6) Suavecito – Firme Hold

firme-strong-hold-pomade
(Singapore)