Festive Market 2014 : The Brightest Dazzle!

Our fairy lights are up, fuzzily familiar Christmas tunes are on our airwaves, and our fingers are fresh from gift-wrapping papercuts.. It's official - Christmas has landed at Rockstar!

No Christmas shopping is complete without scouring our annual Festive Market. This 2014 edition sees us going all black, gold, and ultra glitzy - Seriously, have you seen our store windows? Or our complimentary Rockstar wrapping paper?

Plain Vanilla Bakery will be popping-up at our Cineleisure store during the festivities (mark your calendars - 13 December till Christmas!), alongside the amazing selection of gift ideas we have lined up - ultra cute tumblers, iPhone cases, handmade clay jewellery, even cat teepees (IKR?!). The Letter J Supply, who will be popping up in our stores on the weekends of 13, 14, 20 & 21 Dec, will personally hand-write your favourite quotes or a message of well-wishing for a loved one. Could there be a sweeter gift?

So much more goodies will be rolled out along December. Meanwhile, peak our gift guide here, or our Instagram for the latest gifting news!

Superga Lea Pony Hair Slip-Ons

Say goodbye to canvas and shoelaces, the new Superga Lea slip-ons are in stores now! The black and burgundy pony hair detail makes it look and feel so luxurious and unique. But now for the million dollar question – what can you wear these with?

We sent these slip-ons to some of our favourite Instagram style icons in the hopes that they would be able to teach us a thing or two about styling these darlings. We also did a mini interview with each one of them and got to know a tad more about them beyond their Instagram photos.

Alicia Pan (@alicia_pan) "Fierce #girlboss of Yoga Movement"

I need inspiration for my music. I...
lay on the couch and listen to the music of some of my favourite artistes. Then I pen down my thoughts and emotions for the day.

I feel most powerful when I...
slip into my workout clothes.

The favourite part of my day is...
having my first coffee of the day.

Melissa Megan (@meltttt) "Enigmatic, meticulous style influencer"

My daily routine consists of...

deciding what to wear to work (I'm a styling assistant for a mens and luxury watch magazine), missing my bus, followed by a 100 Plus pick-me-up while clearing out emails and mentally reminding myself about upcoming shoots. An Instagram post usually goes up after a hearty lunch then it's back to more shoot prepping with the team. My hectic day usually ends with a nice slow evening with friends or family.

Things from my wardrobe that I can't live without are...
denim, chunky knits, a sturdy black leather jacket, a collection of basic white tees, and most importantly comfy footwear.

The secret to my Instagram photos are...
some good morning light + my all-rounded buddy @shityundoes (who takes my outfit photos, reminds me of meetings and emails, and corrects my gramma).

Savina Chai (@savinachaiyj) "Minimalistic-chic fashion designer"

I can't stop wearing...
my pinstripe boyfriend shirt. It's so comfortable especially in the hot weather.

The inspiration for my designs...
come from my personal wardrobe (what I'd like to wear) and from what I think my customers would look good in.

The secret photographer behind all my OOTDs is...
my younger brother whom I have to bribe through gifts.

Efy Ramdan (@efymefy) "Effortlessly stylish graphic designer"

I wear my Superga slip-ons when...
I need to run errands because it is comfy and chic. You can rock both looks at the same time with these slip-ons!

The things I enjoy painting are...
abstract art using watercolour.

I love design because...
I am able to express myself as an individual! With design, you can not only express it on paper, you can also incorporate it on clothes!

Andrea Chong (@dreachong) "Globe-trotting, go-getting blogger"

Eyeliner or blush?
Eyeliner!

If I weren't a fashion blogger or a host, I would be...
a dentist (I have no idea why I'm drawn to fixing people's teeth).

The next 3 countries I would love to visit are...
Norway, New Zealand, and America (I haven't been to any of them!)

Paris: 5 Things

Paris je t'aime? When I think of Paris, I immediately think of confusing and almost impossible to navigate fromageries, unbearable pee-drenched back alleys, emotional waiters that will not tolerate service prompting (the customer is always wrong!) and 3 hour long dinner services...

On the flip side, I think narrow medieval passageways soaked deep in history, world-class museums to lose hours, days, weeks (!) in, crumbly baked-to-perfection croissants, iconic architecture at every turn of the head, and 3 hour long dinner services that I just grow to love...

You can find the featured Striped Soludos Ballet Flat and Molly Zipper pouch by Status Anxiety on our upcoming online site. 


 
About the Contributor 

Some people are born with a silver spoon; Eleanor was born with a sugar stick in her mouth. A yoga addict, and the Creative Director of Rockstar Singapore, Eleanor enjoys playing armchair critic in her free time.

Feature: A Peek Inside By Invite Only's Studio

Armed with a pair of pliers and a handful of semi-precious stones, Trixie Khong, founder and designer of By Invite Only, turned her hobby (from back in her frumpy blue, chemical engineering jumpsuit days) into a full-fledged jewellery business that is now stocked worldwide.

Her jewellery label is one of the hot-shots in our store. With almost every piece handmade by her, these eye-catching pieces often fly off our shelves faster than we can shout "restock!"

A couple days back, Trixie opened up the doors of her cosy studio for us to sneak a peek...



As you juggle the roles of both designer and owner of By Invite Only, how do you keep ​yourself inspired?

I love travelling alone - enjoying some me-time, and going to places I've never been to before.

I travel to Seoul a lot for materials sourcing, but I do sneak a couple of days to explore the city. I love their design aesthetic – from the interior design of their stores and houses to their fashion. It's clean and contemporary, and yet it’s still able to blend traditional elements together seamlessly.



Walk us through your design process. Is there a special ingredient that goes into every piece?

We usually create the centerpieces first, then find metal parts to match. The special ingredient is my gut feeling about each piece.




Crystal Quartz necklace. Learn how to make this at the Jewellery Crafting Workshop happening at Rockstar on 27 & 28 September!

The crystal quartz necklace ​is one of our favorite wardrobe staples. Describe the woman you had in mind when you designed this.

Independent, youthful, and someone who has her shit put together.



How do you unwind?

Go for a deep tissue massage!



What song is on repeat when you need design fuel?

Hideaway by Passionpit



Are you inspired yet? Pick up tricks of the trade (basic jewellery crafting skills) from Trixie in a 1.5 hour long workshop next weekend. Held at Rockstar, Orchard 22 with exclusive slots available!

Click here for more information, or head down to our stores to reserve yourself (and a girlfriend) a slot! You know you want to.

Rockstar interviews... Andreas Vural of Happy Plugs!

In latest news - THIS is what is making us very happy.

We've been carrying the basic earbuds from Happy Plugs for awhile now, and they've consistently been a favourite for last-minute travel hauls and cheerful gift ideas. As of last week, we've expanded our loot to not just earbuds, but an extensive range of in-ear phones, iPhone5 + iPad + Samsung cases and lightning cables - All up on a super cool Happy Plugs wall!




When we found out that the founder & CEO, Andreas Vural, was in town last week, we knew we had to have him answer some of our burning questions.


Rockstar: We love the ingenious 'music note' packaging - how did your team come up with that?

Andreas: When I founded Happy Plugs and we decided to do headphones, I went into a lot of different consumer electronics stores and I noticed that everybody was using the same type of packaging - It’s usually very boring, highlights technical properties, frequency, bass, very tech stuff. So I wanted to create something that is simple, that gives the product its soul, and aligns with the Swedish minimalist aesthetic. The musical note packaging then came naturally. Same goes with the cable product – the heart-shaped packaging gives the product a soul, and makes it sexy.


R: How does a particular colour come into production? What inspires your team to that final shade?

A: We have a standard palette of colours – colours that are popular in the fashion industry – like the Turquoise, which is the Tiffany Turquoise, and the orange that’s from Hermès. Twice a year, we have seasonal colours, and this year it’s the very popular Rose Gold. We get inspiration from the fashion runways and websites, and look at what’s popular to arrive at the final shade.



(Image credit - Stureplan.se)

R: Have you had any requests to produce a particular colour? What are some of the most interesting requests?

A: We’ve had interesting collabs – with Spotify and Lufthansia most recently.


R: As a fashion and lifestyle store, we are always constantly looking for new ways to evolve and stay relevant. How do you ensure that Happy Plugs stay relevant and connect with consumers?

For us, with the brand name ‘Happy Plugs’, we always want our customers to be happy. It’s very important for us to keep following the trends and stay updated, and to have the latest when it comes to mobile accessories. What we can promise is we always take the boring consumer products and make it more fun and more fashionable – so we will always be on top.


R: Any exciting news we can expect to hear from Happy Plugs soon?

A: We’ll have really really exciting collabs coming up in September – with interesting people and brands. You have to stay tuned!


You can find an extensive range of Happy Plugs products at our Happy Plugs wall at Rockstar, Orchard 22!

Artist Showcase : ♥ @OAKANDBINDI

When we first discovered Lydia of @Oakandbindi, we couldn't believe our luck!

A Visual Design Communication graduate from Temasek Poly, we were drawn to her clean, colourful and playful illustrations and became immediate fans. We just knew she had to be our next spotlighted Artist Showcase. So we got in touch with her on her interest in doing up a wall mural at Orchard 22, received a very positive "YES OF COURSE", and a month and 4 long nights later, our dreams became a reality.

Earlier this week, we invited Lydia down to our studio for first dibs from our upcoming online collection (yes - we're finally coming online!), and also for a little interview...




First off - AWESOME tan! How'd you get that?

Hi Rockstar! I got it from swimming! I do that quite a lot. There was a period of time I used to BAKE in the sun. Anytime I was free I would just go tanning...


How did you get started on illustration? Were there any big influences in your life?

I've been drawing since I was a kid and it was just my thing. I loved doing it and it was what I did best so I just stuck with it.

Lazy Oaf is my absolute favorite illustration led brand. Jon Knox does really great work - I am ashamed of not having owned any of his sculpts yet. @TRIPPERD on Instagram has killer style as well.




Tell us more us your painting process at Rockstar.

The entire mural took about 28 hours to finish. (Rockstar : She took 4 days!)

It went on layer by layer - so base color of the wall, then base color of the graphics, finished with black outlines.

The whole painting process was super smooth though. I was just generally very excited about doing it because it’s not everyday you get to paint a mural right… (laughs). Plus the wall was literally an open brief, there was no guideline or theme I had to follow. If you’re an artist or designer you’d TOTALLY know what it feels like when a client gives you a free reign on a project — it’s pure joy.

I had a lot of help with the mural too - Jabez, Elie & Deon were my extra hands! I told them I'd mention them - so there!

I was too concentrated on my painting most of the time to notice if anyone was really checking out my work, but my namecards were gone super fast. I had to top up everyday! A couple of kind people came up to me and said good things about the mural, too. It was nice.




Any new doors opened since your mural session with us?

My instagram doors opened. @oakandbindi #follow4follow #jk


Describe your everyday style and your current style obsession.

Recently I’ve been getting the memo to wear black. Otherwise it’s usually denim shorts, a white top, a necklace with a small gold pendant, rings, a watch and AF1s. My current style obsession is @Krystalboydpriest. She is cool. Australians are cool.


Which was your favorite piece of clothing from us?

The white top with jersey-striped sleeves! It’s clean & fresh. Super easy to match.





What can we expect to see from you next?

A couple of murals lined up next month and more projects with Tell Your Children - It's an illustration collective I’m part of with 3 of my amazing artist friends — Russell, Kevin & Deon. We've got upcoming collaborations with Chijmes and The Redundant Shop and we're gonna be holding our second exhibition soon so it’s all super exciting and fun. YAY.


Thanks for being such a sport, Lydia!

If you haven't already, head down to Rockstar at Orchard 22 to check out our ARTIST SHOWCASE featuring Lydia's tropical illustrations.

Discovering... SSEK Jewelry

Look for the magic in the everyday, find the old in the new. With this joyful mantra in mind, SSEK jewelry was born.

"Sek" in Cantonese means stone, or rock.

When we were opening up the packages, our eyes were immediately drawn to the rich sea of colours. Soothing ocean turquoise, light seashell whites and deep pepper reds pepper her designs. With a slight hint of tribal influences, her pieces are distinctly playful.









View more designs of her collection here. Now available in our stores!

LocoCoco's wedding style tips!

Soludos for ladies & men in stores now! Also, don't forget to check out our new apparel arrivals.

wake up, bedhead

More Saturday morning companions over here.

Get lazy with Aarika Lee

Aarika Lee, musician and mother to #ZolaMae, spending the weekend in our SOLUDOS lace-ups in red stripes. More outfits + Soludos here.

Get silently loud - KEDS for KATE SPADE!

Be every bit the head-turner with our lipstick pink KEDS for Kate Spade! Available in stores now.

Artist in the making - KEDS for Kate Spade

Look every bit the artist in KEDS for Kate Spade. Available exclusively at Rockstar stores now.

Bicycle courtesy of TOKYOBIKE Singapore.

Dressed by Rockstar - TOKYOBIKE for OCBCCycle2014

Look out for the TOKYOBIKE team at the upcoming OCBC Cycle 2014 event! Dressed head to toe in Rockstar & Carhartt WIP threads, you surely can't miss them. We will be sharing more pictures of their outfits in just abit.

Textures & tradition - Jack Purcell Shibori

Converse Jack Purcell Shibori is now exclusively available at Rockstar.

Beauty in Tradition : Converse Jack Purcell Shibori

(via Hypebeast)

When you apply traditional handcrafting fabric techniques to a quintessential all-american sneaker silhouette, the result is bound to be a beauty. Such is the case with the latest arrival from the classic shoemakers - the Converse Jack Purcell Shibori.

For the unacquainted, Shibori is a Japanese dye method which gets it's name from the act of twisting materials immediately following dipping them in dye. Combined with the woven contrast laces paired with it, and the contrast stitching lining the uppers of the shoe, this is a collector's dream.

Converse JACK PURCELL Shibori is available in stores today, for both ladies & men. Rockstar is proud to be one of the select boutiques stocking this limited edition exclusive.

Rockstar ♥ LORNA JANE

These make good #fitspiration for you? View more of this photoshoot we directed for Lorna Jane on our Facebook!


Strong women have always been our biggest inspiration. Determined go-getting girls who take good care of their health, while looking impeccably stylish doing so - These are the ladies we salute!

Which is why we are exhilarated to finally have LORNA JANE in store. Australia's award-winning active line is all about inspiring women to live their best life through an active one. Lorna Jane believes women can have and do it all - that they can be sporty, sexy and stylish, all at once. Guess what - So do we.

'She said she would and she did.'


LORNA JANE is now available at ROCKSTAR (Orchard 22).

Spotted : Dreachong at Rockstar

Just over the Lunar New Year, we invited fashion blogger, Drea Chong, down to our stores to pick out a few of her favourite pieces.








Check out her curated selections in her blog posts here & here. The pairing of our Amelia gradient dress from the Rockstar x AL&Alicia collection with that printed SOLUDOs tote is way too cute. And we are loving how she, in her lithe petite frame, could pull off those slouchy paperbag pants so effortlessly.

Hot Label Debut : Saint James

Do you love your stripes? We do, and not one bit embarrassed to say we could be a little obsessed.

We love how stripes can instantly sharpen an outfit - Simply pairing it with a blazer, or a high waisted midi skirt.

And when we went around looking for THE perfect striped tee, we found Saint James.



Why the premium price tag? They take one extra, crucial, step in their manufacturing process - After each part of the shirt is cut, the pieces are then applied to a needled table. This allows for each stripe to be perfectly aligned from front of the shirt to back. This extra step is what makes their garment so special and visually striking. Perfect for OCD types.



Saint James is now available at Rockstar (Orchard 22).