1. Visual Design

If you’re looking to add a little pizzazz to your living room, you don’t have to get funky artworks. Instead, pick up something from the new line of a TV sets from Taiwanese electronics outfit Hannspree. The collection of flat-screen 9.6” to 23” LCD sets, which comes in three categories, is looking to revolutionize the way we look at TV with cool and weird designs. Prices start at $599 and the sets are available at the Hanspree Concept Store (#02-K5 Funan DigitaLife Mall, 109 North Bridge Rd., 6333-3339).

2. Pod Out

Attention all you iPod nuts! On top of other cool Apple stores in Singapore, now there’s also the EpiCentre@Suntec (#02-179 Suntec City Mall, 3 Temasek Blvd., 6835-8168), the first iPod-focused concept store in Singapore. The new outlet boasts the latest and largest selection of iPod products in town, as well as other essential services like upgrading your old iPod for the latest model. Coolest of all, the store also allows you to design your own personalized iPod skins.

3. Getting the Skinny

A plain old PC? Boring! If you have one of HP’s Bryce Pavilion s7500 series Slimline PCs, you can spruce it up a bit with 17 exclusive CoolSkinz designs, including one limited edition design of the cool cartoon character To-Fu Oyako, created by the popular Devilrobots team from Japan, that’s limited to just 100 pieces. The other 16 designs, created by local designers, come in four themes—Psychedelic Art, Fashion Art, Tattoo Art and Surreal Art—and retail at $49 each. The Devilrobots skin retails at $69. Get your PCs “skinned” at the “Rewards Link” Redemption Centre (#04-36 The Adelphi, 1 Coleman St., 6339-2923).

4. Dock It

Philips has unleashed the CD Micro System MCM108D ($179)—a cool new micro hi-fi system that includes a docking option for iPod users. Coming in a stylish, minimalist design, the system also boasts sweet features like MP3/WMA-CD playback compatibilities, Dynamic Bass Boost and Digital Sound Control for some great sounds. Pick this baby up at Best Denki (#09-06 Great World City, 1 Kim Seng Promenade, 6319-9922).

Teen Spirit

Mooks has printed 500 limited-edition T-shirts ($69) to celebrate its 15th year as a successful streetwear label. The tees feature colorful repeats of classic Mooks graphics. If you’re a collector, lucky you! Some have made their way to Singapore. Get them quick at #03-13 The Heeren Shops, 260 Orchard Rd., 6732-8206.

Smart Casual

Business shirts and formal wear need not be stuffy and boring. CYC the custom shop has made-to-measure classic wear that exudes a fashionable flair. Inspired by architecture, the current collection focuses on bold details, lean lines, heavy contrasts, smart removable collars and cuffs for men. For the ladies, designs are inspired by the curved lines of columns resulting in feminine shawl collars, puff sleeves and Victorian finishes. Available from #02-12 Raffles Hotel Arcade, Beach Rd., 6336-3556; #01-21 Republic Plaza II, 9 Raffles Place, 6538-0522.

B1, Isetan Orchard, Wisma Atria, 435 Orchard Rd., 6735-2191.

The uninhibited and vibrant Fiorucci is now in town. Candy-colored fashionable wear inspired by American mass culture will shake up your wardrobe. Designs display not-so-subtle hints of political causes, rock ’n’ roll and the ecology movement. This funky streetwear label will be a hit with sexy ladies looking for unusual clothing.

#03-03 Palais Renaissance, 390 Orchard Rd., 6735-4550.

Puce embodies the best of the modern woman’s desires. The boutique is a treasure trove of opulent luxurious treats from evening wear, jewelry and runway gear to feminine lingerie, body and bath products and sleek swimwear. You’ll want to pick an item from every designer showcased here and add it to your wish list. Puce stocks, among others, the high-end Brown Label, Bare by Rebecca Davies, Margo London, Melissa Odabash, Mrs Chow, Vera Wang Lingerie, Zimmerman and a ReshamM line. The stunning OSEL jewelry collection by model Nadya Hutagalung is also available exclusively in the store. Her debut signature range is priced between $500 and $5,000 and includes 18-carat gold, sapphires, aquamarines, tourmalines and rose quartz gems. Intricate details can be found in these adornments which, while understated, convey a statement of confidence and elegance.

So how’s school going for you?
School is sibei (very) boring. I ponteng (skip) classes all the time to play Counterstrike!

We used to do that too. Any cute girl in class who has caught your attention?
Actually, there’s this girl who dresses like a manga comic heroine. Some people call her ah lian. I don’t think she wants to disclose her name to the public, shy ah!

What’s your ambition?
My ambition is to draw my own manga comics, and to own a zhi char (Chinese cooked food) stall.

Awesome. And let us in on your darkest secret.
My mother is a Tiger beer girl and we have been sharing many Tiger moments since I was 12.

What about your mother irks you from time to time?
Always ask me to study, study, study... Especially when she is drunk! She is worse than a broken record player! I can only just tell her that I will bring her a lot of money somehow.

And what’s your greatest fear?
That the world will run out of beer.

How did you get Ah Kow as a pet?
I went to a farm with my father and mother to buy him, and when we brought him home he was crying for his own father (kow bei) and for his mother (kow bu) for a very long time.

Can he do any stunts?
Er, he is a very unique dog that secretes milk. One-of-a-kind. You will figure it out when you come and see my show.

What’s your last memory of your dad?
He was telling me to look after my family and to pursue my dream to the top.

What do you hope to see upon climbing the bean sprout?
I just want to have a biiiiiiiig adventure and see all my dreams come true!

Muhammad and Kartini

How long? Dating for four years.

What do you like most about her? She’s very outgoing, unlike my previous girlfriends, yet sensitive and caring.

What do you like most about him? He has a deep, masculine voice that I love, especially when he sings Malay love ballads like “Chinchin Emas” (“gold ring”).

What’s her silliest habit? She wakes up in the middle of the night almost every night to make sure the cat hasn’t run away.

What’s his silliest habit? He treats his four-year-old deaf cat Putih like a human being.

Who wears the pants? M: We both share the pants but I usually give in to her when there is the need, though we agree on most things.

Aaron and Joyce

How long? Dating for two-and-a-half years, engaged to be married.

How did you meet?
A: The boring version of the story is that she mistook me for someone else.
J: But the story we like to tell is that someone pinched his butt. He turned around to see who it was, but there was no one.
A: But then I looked down and there she was! (Joyce is short.)

Was it love at first sight?
A: For me it was.
J: I was with someone else, so no.

Plans for the future?
To live happily ever after.

Who wears the pants?
A: I would say me.
J: Secretly I do.

What face cream does she use? Olay. (Correct)

What aftershave does he use? He doesn’t use any. (Correct)

Fred and Lila

How long? Been together for five years, married for one year.

How did you meet?
F: We met through martial arts. I was working in Tahiti, and I was very impressed with Lila when she came to my class.

Was it love at first sight?
F: For me, yes. I thought, “she’s the one for me! Can you cook? Ok, marry me!”

Plans for the future? To have babies. One, two...we’ll see. But for now, we want to travel around the world to meet new martial arts masters, and to spread our teachings. Our common passion of helping people grow through martial arts keeps us together.

Who wears the pants? F: Me, but we are a team.

Raymond and So Young

How long? Been together for eight years, married with a son who is eight-months-old.

How did you meet?
R: Ours is a made-in-Korea love story—think of a Korean Sliding Doors. We met when I was backpacking in Seoul in 1998. I was on a train when I realized that my fly was open. Instead of zipping up in front of everyone, I moved in-between carriages to do it there. And I saw a beautiful lady reading an English newspaper. The person sitting beside her got up; I took his seat, got out my map, pretended to be a lost tourist and used that as a pretext to ask for her phone number—which she gave! I called her a few days later and we met for drinks. I bought her a bouquet of baby’s breath, which turned out to be her favorite flower, scoring me points immediately! We bravely held hands, and I attempted (but failed) to kiss her at the end of the date. On the day I was due to leave Seoul, she came to say goodbye, and we wrote to each other every week for two-and-a-half years before she moved to Singapore. I later found out that she didn’t normally take the train to work, and just happened to be on the train that day because she was running late. What a lucky coincidence!

Was it love at first sight? Yes for me, but not for her.

Alphonsus and Irene

How long? Dating for two-and-a-half years.

How did you meet?
I: I was working in a dive shop and we were short-handed and I asked Alphonsus to help out.

Was it love at first sight?
I: No. We were working. But he called me a few days after his stint, and we went wakeboarding. It all started there!

Plans for the future?
Lots of scuba diving, wakeboarding, and ice hockey.

Who wears the pants?
A: I do.
I: He likes to think that he does.

Shilton and Jennifer

How long? Together for 17 years, married for 10.

How did you meet? Through a mutual friend at school.

Was it love at first sight? S: Uh...no. Well, actually it’s a yes.

What makes her happiest?
When I quit smoking two years ago, she was very happy.

What makes him happiest?
He’s always happy when I spend time with him. He needs a lot of attention.

Who wears the pants?
S: Me! No, actually we share. We each take one leg.

Plans for the future? To go backpacking through Europe when we’re 40.

Amber and Alex

How long? Dating for four months.

How did you meet?
Through a mutual friend at a pub over a World Cup soccer match.

Plans for the future?
Amber: We’ll probably get married in a few months and have a couple of kids before we are 30!

What’s her silliest habit?
She insists on wearing this old T-shirt all the time...which is falling apart and is full of holes!

What’s his silliest habit?
Cursing and swearing at inept drivers who can’t hear him.

Who wears the pants?
Alex: We try not to dominate each other and give each other space.
Amber: Me!

Nick and Sorelle

How long? Dating for two-and-a-half years, now engaged.

How did you meet? Through a friend at university.

Was it love at first sight?
N: No. I pretty much ignored her and treated her like dirt.
S: Yeah, I hated his guts. But I fell in love when I saw through his tough exterior.

What makes her happiest?
Winning at Scrabble. It doesn’t happen very often. Last time we played, she tried to spell “quilt” with two T’s.

What makes him happiest? Cheese. Only cheese will please him.

Who wears the pants?
N: She lets me think I do.
S: I do.

Glenn and Kathleen

How long? Together for 3 years, married less than a year.

How did you meet? We met at a mutual friend’s house party.

Was it love at first sight?
G: No. More curiousity. I actually tried to set Kath up with a friend of mine and he blew her off so we got to get to know each other. He had his shot, so now it was my turn.

What’s her silliest habit? She dances for the baby and cracks baby Kate up.

What’s his silliest habit? He walks out of his socks. When he comes home, he will slip his socks off using his feet, and leave them in the middle of the floor.

Who wears the pants?
G: I do.
K: I do.

Gregory and Coral

How long? Dating for four years.

How did you meet?
C: I was in a play, and Greg was my stage manager.

Was it love at first sight?
C: For me it was. I thought Greg had great hair, so I asked him if he would go out with me and he said OK. That’s the short story. The truth is, I struck up a conversation with him that led to me asking him out to dinner.

Plans for the future?
C: I have the biological need to have curly-haired children. But for now, we have no plans as a couple.

Who wears the pants?
G: Coral thinks she does, but it’s actually me. No, we share.

Chee Gee and Enny

How long? Been together for five years, married for one year.

How did you meet? Through friends.

Was it love at first sight? Yes, it was.

What makes her happiest? Traveling.

What makes him happiest? Playing with his X-box.

Who wears the pants?
C: I think we discuss stuff and go for the best solution for both of us.
E: He does.

Bag It

Bag fiends should not miss the trendy Rafe bags (from $679) straight from New York. What started in 1994 as a sideline to Rafe Totengco’s sought after accessories and belts line are now flyings off the shelves like hotcakes. The stylish classic pieces are meticulously designed by Totengco, and hint at sophisticated chic, crafted from the same factories used by most luxury brands. The bags, exclusively stocked at Colette in Singapore, have gained quite a following since they debuted here two years ago. So if you shoulder one of these, don’t be startled when designer Rafe Totengco runs up to you with his camera to take a snapshot (if he visits Singapore again, that is). He posts sightings of his fans proudly on his web site www.rafe.com for kicks. “They are always the same type of guys and gals that carry my bags. They are the cool, urban and chic professionals,” he says. Other celebrity fans back in New York include actresses Jessica Alba, Eva Longoria, Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan and Sandra Oh. The Fall/Winter collection runs an exciting eclectic mix of bags and versatile boots fashioned from tweeds, plaids, waxed leather, woolen knits and fresh colored fabrics. Bag a Rafe at Colette, #01-14, 583 Orchard Road, Forum The Shopping Mall, 6333-8589.

White Out

Christmas came early for fans of Swatch, as its trendy Swatch Xmas Collection has arrived. Boasting six eye-catching new designs that are a variation of the color white, topped with a twinkling translucence, they make an apt gift idea for both young and old. But our personal favorite is the limited edition “Arctic Touch” collection. Featuring beautiful snowflake motifs and coupled with silvery sheens and crystals, this is the one to buy. Available from Swatch #01-08, The Heeren Shops, 260 Orchard Rd., 6737-1917.

A Joy to Behold

Shona Joy is a self-titled label from Down Under. Based in Sydney, Shona draws from her fine arts background and instills a strong focus fusing arty floral prints in her collections. Her relentless pursuit of excellence through innovation was exemplified when she first started using wallpaper designs in fashion fabrics. Kitschy frocks, hippy vintage floral printed toile, romantic laces, and shirt dresses accented with matching fabric belts and detailed stitches are what you can expect from this talented designer. Sexy and fun, Shona Joy is widely sought after and endorsed by model Christy Turlington and many other international fashion magazines. How can you resist girly clothes like these? Pair them with heels, shift into sunny mode and enjoy a tea party with your best pals wearing these lovable finds. prices from $299. Select pieces are available exclusively from Antipodean, 27a Lorong Mambong, Holland Village, 6463-7336.

Game Face

Creative Technologies has just released a set of cool hardware for all you PC gamers. The Creative Fatal1ty Gaming Keyboard¹ ($99) is lightweight and stylish, but more importantly, it lights up for all you out there who prefer to get your game on in the darker corners of gaming cafes. The Creative Fatal1ty Professional Laser Mouse’s_² ($99) movement is smooth, allowing for the greatest of ease when stalking cyber enemies. And, last but not least, the Creative Mouse Gamer 7600L³ ($89) sports five customizable buttons, so that your gaming experience can be as personal and easy as possible. All these are available at The Creative Store (#04-06 Plaza Singapura, 68 Orchard Rd., 6895-4100).

Take a Tablet

Fujitsu will be unleashing three new tablet PCs very soon—the Lifebook P1620 and T4215 and the stylistic ST5112. Each of these are Windows Vista ready and sport the very useful three dimensional shock sensor utility, which works to decrease the risk of damage to the hard drive, in case of excessive impact or vibrations. The ST5112 is set to be released in late November for $4,688. The P1620 and the T4215 are due out in December. Watch this space for more news regarding these products.

Boom! Shake the Room!

There are plenty of MP3 player speaker systems on the market right now, but the iBoom Travel ($149) really sets itself apart. Style-wise, it’s nothing to scoff at—coming in two simple, but sleek colors: pearly white and black metallica—the iBoom is also compatible with the latest iPod products, weighs in at only 420g and boasts the very cool DLO Bass Management Circuitry, which provides extended bass. Pick this baby in late Nov from Challenger Superstore (#05-20 Funan DigitaLife Mall, 109 Orchard Rd., 6339-9008).

More Walking

Sony Ericsson has launched the W950i ($1038), the latest in the company’s incredibly popular line of Walkman phones. Continuing in the same vein as its predecessors, the W950i has a whopping 4GB of storage and has the functionality and sound quality of a normal standalone player. All this, plus a touch screen for easy navigation through songs. The phone features hold their own pretty well too-with email and web browsing at broadband speeds and a user-friendly interface. Pick one up at The M1 Shop (#B1-28/29 Paragon, 290 Orchard Rd., Hotline 1800-843-8383).

Chris Lee

How would you describe your style?
Dementia meets enthusiastic schoolboy.

Who would it appeal to?
Errr.... I have no idea!

What is good design to you?
It is simple, witty work that inspires.

How would you define street style?
Spontaneous, raw and rebellious.

How do you think visual art is related to other aspects of urban culture?
Visual art is the most conspicuous form of urban culture. It is the tune which music, fashion and all other forms can dance to.

Complete the sentence, “I stand a high chance of winning because…”
God loves me. Haha.

Brian Gothong Tan

How would you describe your style?
I’ve never consciously gone out to develop a personal style. So more often than not, my subject matter which I’m exploring dictates my style.

Who would it appeal to?
Anybody! Most of the positive reactions I’ve got come from the younger generation, however.

What is good design to you?
It should be balanced, meaningful and cutting-edge.

How would you define street style?
Subversive, spontaneous and extremely personal.

How do you think visual art is related to other aspects of urban culture?
Visual art is urban culture. If you look at any modern urban setting, we are constantly bombarded with images. Our culture is a visual one, so art is everywhere. Now whether it is good or bad art, that’s a totally different question.

Complete the sentence, “I stand a high chance of winning because…”
Actually, winning isn’t really part of my agenda. I’m already happy that I got nominated. Getting recognition is good enough!

Ivanho Halim

How would you describe your style?
My style is youthful.

Who would it appeal to?
It’ll appeal to the young.

What is good design to you?
Good design is humble.

How would you define street style?
Street style is all things independent!

How do you think visual art is related to other aspects of urban culture?
Visual art lends a voice to urban culture. Urban culture generally revolves around youth, and visuals are a fast and easy way to document or communicate within youth culture.

Complete the sentence, “I stand a high chance of winning because…”
They are all my friends.

47 Haji Lane, 6396-5543.

With an opaque black sliding door at the entrance, this store looks like a club at first glance. But walk inside, and you will find a choice array of bags, trainers, funky hats, limited edition Puma shoes, T-shirts and much, much more. With dim lighting and low ceilings, this cave of an interior is shadowy, stylish and a world away from the funky street outside. Ask the friendly guys who run the store, CK and Sean, to assist you anytime.