Pros

• With the new BlackBerry 6 OS, the Torch boasts a slicker home interface as well as offering an intuitive touchscreen interface.
• For BB old-schoolers who aren’t used to the touchscreen (its 2011 people!), there’s the handy trackpad with which you can control most of the stuff on-screen.
• Call quality (using SingTel) is generally good, with clear audio and minimal background noise. Data speeds are pretty decent too (about 30 seconds to load is.asia-city.com).
• The new and improved browser allows for better HTML and JavaScript rendering, and partial support for HTML5 and CSS3. These additions greatly improve the speed and performance of the browser.
• As you’d expect with a BlackBerry, the Torch is an excellent email device. And syncing your corporate emails is a breeze. But you do need a BB contract to take advantage of this.
• For the social networking addict, the Torch comes with direct uploads to YouTube, as well as pre-installed Facebook and Twitter applications. Of course you want a decent camera and, by and large, the Torch’s five-megapixel shooter delivers.
• The new Social Feeds app packed into the Torch is a useful tool as it aggregates updates from your favorite social network sites. It also acts as an RSS feed aggregator.

Cons

• The touchscreen-keyboard combo adds a bit of heft to the Torch (about 162 grams total). Definitely heavier than most if you want to stuff it into your suit pants.
• Its low-res 480 x360 screen display is something of a deal breaker. Compared to higher definition stuff we’ve seen on the iPhone, Milestone and Xperia Arc, texting and web browsing on this stunner is akin to surfing on your old CRT monitor.
• Shoots only VGA video.
• No flash support for web browsing.

Verdict
If you’re a business type, the Torch will suit your needs. Although RIM says that it’s the most advanced BlackBerry yet, it is not a better BlackBerry. If you’re looking for something more sophisticated, there are plenty of options out there.
$598 with two year contract from SingTel.

The buzz: Italian fashion giant Diesel’s Paragon outpost has been given the once-over.

The vibe: Based on a boutique concept similar to that of their stores in Shanghai and Hong Kong, the new and improved Diesel Paragon store represents the modern attitude of the brand featuring woody interiors, dark panels and luxe touches like vintage furniture and lighting.

The goods: Fans of this noted streetwear label know that denim is the name of the game at Diesel. This season sees two new collections added to the Italian label’s staple. Dirty New Age (for men) showcases the brand’s expertise in specialty denim washes. The new collection explores the world of all things grimy and rugged (read: Mud, sand, paint). Gentleman can expect to wear their favorite traditionally cut Diesel jeans in a variety of new and old washes. From clean and shredded to baggy and skinny, you have something to choose from no matter your choice of denim. The ladies’ collection Powder of Diesel, on the other hand, blends femininity with bold sensuality. The collection is inspired by a woman’s most feminine moments (in Diesel’s books, it’s when they put on make up). So you can expect make-up and cosmetic-inspired aesthetics in fabrics, silhouettes and colors in this collection.

Why you’ll be back: Diesel’s attention to detail and innovative cuts have made this brand a firm favorite among the denim and fashion set. If you’re not a Diesel convert, perhaps its new digs might reel you in. Zaki Jufri

#02-17/18 Paragon, 290 Orchard Rd., 6732-3525. Open daily 10am-9pm.

Get your portrait done by local artists.

Head down to the F1 Pit Building for one of Singapore’s biggest parties of the year—City Alive!

Why give a dozen roses for V-Day when you can surprise that special someone with more than 200 types of flowers?

Load up on some Korean art at ION Art.

Pamper yourself at Dr. Georgia Lee’s new spa.

Take a chill pill at one of these bars with great gardens.

Cure that bout of singlehood at one of these V-Day parties.

Groove to hard-hitting bass and dub at Home Club.

Finally fulfill that New Year resolution about keeping fit by signing up at Pure Fitness.

Catch one of the most talked about movies this year.

My love for art began way back when I was about six years old. My family saw that I had an aptitude to create so they enrolled me in art classes. I had a knack for creating so I used to decorate my home with all the things that I painted, cut and pasted together.

I only had one ambition—to be an artist. I got that chance when I enrolled in the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. I was the only student then who was actually happy to be an artist. Most of my peers hated art as they saw no future in it. The curriculum didn’t allow me to concentrate on fine arts full-time, so I persuaded my teachers to tailor a curriculum for me to just pursue the subject.

I was fortunate to be brought up in an environment where I didn’t have to work for money back in art school. But I wasn’t complacent so I worked hard at being an artist until I managed to regularly supply a gallery my artworks, and surprisingly they sold very well.

I got my first taste in art dealing right after graduation. I worked as a gallery assistant at a gallery in Orchard Point. I never thought that I had a knack for promoting and selling art. I sold a lot of paintings during my three year stint there and I consequently decided that art dealing will be my calling.

I opened my first gallery (Jasmine Fine Art) in 1993. Money was tight so I did everything myself back then—from designing the interior and painting the walls to drawing murals. I guess the years in art school were useful after all. My efforts paid off when an interior design magazine featured my gallery in its pages.

I am a good curator and dealer because I understand how artists and collectors think. I know exactly what an artist wants and how he or she wants to be promoted.

I called my second gallery the Museum of Art and Design because a museum is a public space for the masses as opposed to an art gallery which can be cold and uninviting. And I believe in the strengths of the artists that I represent here—they are no doubt museum-worthy.

Art should be accessible to everyone. That’s why there are no doors to my galleries. Everyone is welcome here. Doors are intimidating and create boundaries. People have this preconceived notion that art is expensive and it takes a lot of guts for the layperson to push through those doors. I think that is just regressive and doesn’t do justice to the art and artist. Art should be enjoyed by everyone and not just by an elite few.

You have to earn the right to be called an artist. Your peers and your audience will confer that title to you on the basis of your work. Just because you can paint, doesn’t mean that you can call yourself one.

I am disappointed when people tell me they only buy art for investment. I feel that is so myopic.

Good art is something that moves you.

To truly be a center for the arts in this region, Singapore shouldn’t only spend all that money to just organize events. There are so many good artists here that need a leg up and someone should give them a hand. Everything starts from the grassroots.

After so many years in this business, I learned that money can’t buy you good taste.

Clad in a pink and carmine blocked top, navy patterned running shorts on dark grey leggings and Technicolor running sneakers, he stood out like hydrangea in a sea of drab white and grey.

Curious onlookers and those who’d just completed their run did a double take as creative consultant Hideki Akiyoshi crossed the finish line.

Sporting colorful but functional outdoor clothes, individuals like Akiyoshi, PR executive Yashiro Ken and copywriter Li Chan are prime examples of the resurgence of outdoor sportswear.

"Basically people’s lifestyles have become much more active and people are more conscious about nature, says Akiyoshi, who cites Aigle, Keen, Haglofs, Merrell, Lafuma and Millet as some of his favorite outdoor labels. ”Outdoor fashion is the biggest trend in the world now whereas high fashion has not been creating as much news compared to the past decades.”

Seen on the runways of New York and Milan are no longer male models in slim black suits and skinny ties but rather naval pea coats, fisherman-style gilets, argyle sweaters, khakis (loads of them) and alpine boots. Fashion brands are digging through their archives and taking a leaf out of iconic outdoor apparel companies to create looks that are more rough-and-tumble, as opposed to the ubiquitous tailored look favored by the Pradas and Guccis. Some brands are even tapping the expertise of the outdoor labels and injecting a modern and polished take by bringing in new blood.

Take Japanese label Comme des Garçons for example. Its designer Junya Watanabe has collaborated over the past few years with outdoor clothing stalwarts such as Nike, Brooks Brothers and Woolrich Woolen Mills. Other labels roughing it out include Jil Sander, Levi’s, Rag and Bone, and Band of Outsiders.

In Singapore, men (and some women) are bringing the outdoor look onto the streets. Copywriter Li Chan is one hipster who has embraced it. He flips through the pages of GQ as well as Japanese style rags Go Out and Men’s No No for style ideas, and looks up to Japanese stylist Fumihiko Okabe, known for his quirky takes on outdoor style.

“It’s ludicrous to wear down-jackets and fleece here in Singapore, so I pick ‘lighter’ styles like fishing jackets to go with khaki shorts and hiking boots, or just throw on a canvas gilet to complete the look. Simple style pairings like these are versatile enough for the office,” he says.

Akiyoshi agrees: “Outdoor style is all about mixing and matching. It is quite an apt look to consider for a climate such as Singapore. The functions and technologies featured in some of the clothing will be perfect.”

The 30-year fashion industry veteran has gone one step further to promote the outdoor style, through the Nature Athletic Style group he created. Through this initiative, Akiyoshi organizes activities like hikes, runs and sea-sports on top of sharing outdoor fashion tips.

“For me, the outdoor style is more than just fashion. It’s great that it is getting traction on the fashion front but the aim of the group is to let people to think about and spend their time with nature,” he says.

“I also hope to organize big outdoor/nature-themed events such as Glastonbury or Fuji Rock in Singapore in the near future where people will rough it out, camp … and still look good!” 

Look fashionably rough in these labels

Engineered Garments
The brainchild of Japanese designer Daiki Suzuki, Engineered Garments is one of the many labels that helped bring the classic American outdoor sportswear look into high fashion. The designs from Suzuki’s line were inspired by Woolrich Woolen Mills and his collection puts a modern spin on sportswear such as chambray and flannel shirts, safari jackets in technical materials and classic footwear. Engineered Garments won the CFDA/GQ Menswear Designer of the Year Award in 2008.
Available from Know It Nothing, 51 Haji Lane, 6392-5475.

Moncler
This longstanding French mountaineering outfitter brings its functional streamlined jackets, boots and bags from the slopes of the Swiss Alps to the runways and streets. The brand has roped in designer-of-the-moment Thom Browne to create a diffusion label, Gamme Bleu—injecting a refined, tailored look into the brand’s extreme sport origins (it outfitted the 1954 Italian K2 expedition). The brand will feature in the Club 21 Pop-Up boutique (01-28/29 Forum Shopping Mall, 583 Orchard Rd., 6304-3557) from mid February.
Also available from Club 21, #01-02 / #01-09 Four Seasons Hotel, 190 Orchard Blvd., 6304-3557/6304-3557.

Uniqlo
The king of Japanese casuals boasts a fine collection of sportswear that’s as runway ready as it is all set for the hills. Its Fall/Winter offerings feature classic sportswear silhouettes, some designed by labels such as Opening Ceremony, A Gilded Age and Japanese designer Kiminori Morishita, known for his military and outdoor style using vintage-inspired materials in modern shapes and cuts. The latest +J Spring/Summer 2011 collection features classic sportswear silhouettes in cutting edge fabrics. Noteworthy pieces include military-style parkas in cotton twill, down vests and light cotton jackets.
Available at #03-27/34, 313@somerset, 313 Orchard Rd., 6834-4073.

Visvim
Founded in 2004 and helmed by Hiroki Nakamura, Visvim is a small label out of Japan producing some of the wittiest apparel and shoes in the market. Known for products that are understated yet aesthetically distinctive and displaying fine craftsmanship, Visvim began as a reaction to mass marketed fashion. The label’s nod towards craftsmanship and artisanal skills has won fans the world over. Besides sneakers, Visvim has its hand in womenswear, outerwear, accessories and travel goods, candles and perfumes, clothing and denim, and has collaborated with labels such as Moncler and Comme des Garçons.
Available from Surrender, #02-31, Raffles Hotel Arcade, 328 North Bridge Rd.,
6733-2130.
 

With the Oscars right around the corner, there are plenty of buzz and excitement, of course, for the nominees. This year's batch of Oscar nominations has been full of surprises with its expected and some unexpected Oscar nominees such as the British monarchy saga The King's Speech which leads the awards race with a whopping 12 nominations, including best picture and acting honors for its cast of luminaries.

Also in the running for Best Picture are cinematic gems like ballet thriller Black Swan; Coen Brother's True Grit, boxing drama The Fighter; Chris Nolan's mind-numbing Inception; Toy Story 3, the lesbian-family comedy The Kids Are All Right, 127 Hours, Winter's Bone and The Social Network.

For the longest time, we thought nothing can stop The Social Network (for showing us how Mark Zuckerberg became the youngest billionaire in history or Black Swan (for the awesome scene of Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis locking lips ... and more). But in comes The King's Speech which has won a bevy of prizes from the other awards show.

So did your favorite movie get picked or did they let the wrong one in?

Here are the trailers for the nominees for Best Picture:

Black Swan

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Stars: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel

Why it should win: For showing us Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis getting down to business.

The Fighter 

Director: David O. Russell
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale and Amy Adams

Why it should win: It's the greatest boxing movie next to the original Rocky and we get to see Amy Adams as a badass for once.

Inception

Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page

Why it should win: Because so many people are still freaked out after downloading the Inception app.

The Kids Are All Right 

Director: Lisa Cholodenko
Stars: Annette Bening, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo

Why it should win: Who doesn't like to watch a movie about a dysfunctional family and one with a lesbian couple at that?

The King's Speech 

Director: Tom Hooper
Stars: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter

Why it should win: Who would have thought that a movie about a man with a speech impediment will be so good? And seeing Colin Firth talking like he's got balls in his mouth is hilarious.

127 Hours 

Director: Danny Boyle
Stars: James Franco, Amber Tamblyn and Kate Mara

Why it should win: The scene where Franco's character cut his arm off in the movie is both intense and brilliant.

The Social Network 

Director: David Fincher
Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake

Why it should win: Because you and 599,999,999 other people are on FaceBook.

Toy Story 3 

Director: Lee Unkrich
Stars: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack

Why it should win: Because you watched the first one as a kid and loved it.

True Grit 

Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Stars: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Hailee Steinfeld

Why it should win: It's by the Coen Brothers! O Brother, Where Art Thou?, A Serious Man, Burn After Reading ... Come on!

Winter's Bone 

Director: Debra Granik
Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes and Garret Dillahunt

Why it should win: The underdog in this list, this 2010 Sundance Festival Grand Jury Prize winner and indie offering packs some serious punch.