No, this is not a Lauren Weisberger novel. Or a sequel to the top rated movie about poor Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) facing a catch-22 of whether to drop her job or not for working with a death glare.
The Peak, Hong Kong
If you have read me lately, you'll notice that I have posted articles from my recent travel in Hong Kong. And this is yet another one.
My own share of quandary comes from how to pull together a season-appropriate travel outfit without looking dowdy.
I toyed with geometric printed sleeves from Prada. The idea was to wear an ensemble that will go well with the modern theme panorama and sights of Victoria Peak, Hong Kong.
I: at Tun Chung Line Station l Prada Model: on the Runway
The multi-chromatic design is inspired from Miuccia Prada's Autumn/ Winter 2012 Collection that focuses on geometric patterns and electric prints.
I particularly picked the one in neon orange and hued down mix of violet color because of its non boring but not overstated combination.
I tweaked the look by pairing the sleeves with a studded shorts atop black leggings instead of the straight geometric printed Prada sleeves and pants. And finished it with a neutral cream trench coat to combat the winter breeze of Hong Kong and to tune the modern aura down a bit.
Quaffing a cup of Hot Shots
I opted to skip out on belts to keep it from looking very '70s. Pulling the Prada arm sleeves over the cream trench coat was a good means of making all the outfit mix well together.
I also donned spike earrings and arm candies to avoid making the impression of looking like Miranda Priestly's age to my 22-year-old physicality. Because honestly, the sleeves has a little senescence attached to it.
Victoria Peak
It would have also looked better with a platform shoes but I preferred comfort over statement. My feet still had long walks to take around Hong Kong.
I for sure am a traveler who wears Prada with this stint. But it's also not like I can afford an authentic one everyday of the year.
H&M, Forever
21, Cristobal Balenciaga designs and many other fashion lines hyped the
increase of women and men clothing stores online.
Today there is
already huge selection of chic clothes that trendy buyers can choose from. Mullet
skirts, pleated dresses, wide leg pants and bohemian
styles are the ones that mostly invade the ramp and are few of my personal
preferences too.
Fashion-onlookers
not only hunt for new get-up to update their wardrobe but inspiration on how to
exactly wear it without looking ridiculous. Cropped tops, for example, are better
worn with high-waist denims or trousers than with bubble skirts.
Another difficulty
is how to pull together accessories to glam up an outfit. If you are not so
oriented you tend to over accessorize yourself.
Or become overly plain and dull. That said, batik printed fabrics has become one of the “accessorizing-problem”
fix to many fashionistas.
(Ambatik) Over-sized Top Kimono for Women, Contrast Long Sleeve Collared Shirt for Men
Ambatik
is a fashion brand specialized in knit batik. It is a cutting-edge from
the traditional batik by using its waxing and dyeing technique on the jersey
(knit fabric), offering a unique and distinctive Indonesian clothing.
Fini started Ambatik in 2009. It began by designing made to order
pieces, using and mixing different batik material from Java. However as the
fashion line advanced, Fini already wanted to take the brand to a more casual
and fresh take on batik. Her love for jersey and desire to wear something that
could represent her Indonesian cultural heritage moved her to experiment innovating
the traditional batik fabric using waxing and dyeing technique on a medium that
almost never used before, the jersey/ knit fabric.
How is batik printed
clothes different from other fabric pattern designs?
Batik is actually the process of
waxing and dyeing. Other pattern fabric would have the pattern printed on top
of the fabric. With batik, wax is applied to cloth through (1) hand-drawn by
"canting," a wooden handled tool with a tiny metal cup and a tiny spout
out of which the wax seeps, or by (2) stamping hot wax to the fabric using the
"cap," a pre-carved wooden or copper block. Where the wax has seeped
through the fabric, the dye will not penetrate. After dyeing the cloth for
coloring, the fabric is hung up to dry then dipped in a solvent to dissolve the
wax. As a result, batik fabric will reflect designs on both sides of the cloth,
unlike other pattern fabric with design on only one side.
Cap (stamp) used for making batik cap, the process by using stamps to apply wax on fabric
The detailed
explanation of Fini on what makes Ambatik distinctive of other designs elated
me. Fortunately I was able to ask how Ambatik clothes are made. It first begins
with designing the “cap” or stamp for the batik process and the collection for
the season. Once the "cap"
are ready, plain jersey fabric are then stamped and go through the batik
process. When the batik fabric is done, production begins for the clothes.
You can view Ambatik’s latest
collection by hitting facebook and clicking “like” on their page.
Taken from UPH Bazaar
I particularly love Ambatik’s oversized
t-shirts for women, miniskirts, and cardigans. The hues of earth and pastel colors
plus the good contrast offers a more vibrant look. Its abstract and freshly
innovated batik patterns are more acceptable to the modern fashion demands of
the people today. The designs are generally applicable for men and women at a
broad range of age. And of course, Ambatik tops most especially won’t give you
hard time pairing it with your dungarees.
(Ambatik) Over-sized Tee Shirt
(Ambatik) miniskirts
(Ambatik) Cardigans
(Ambatik) Batik Knit Scarf in Brown, Blue, Salmon, Purple (other colors available)
I’d get to ask Fini what tips
she can give to her future Ambatik customers on how to wear batik printed
clothes. And this is what she had to say, “My
tip is to just have fun! Wear it just like you would any printed clothing,
except with Ambatik you're also sustaining a cultural heritage”. She knows very well that the frugality of
her fashion line Ambatik would make most of its buyers fashionable…and
comfortable.
Watch Ambatik's campaign video below:
Photo/ Video Credits: facebook (dot) com (slash) ambatikbyfini ambatik (dot) tumblr (dot) com youtube (dot) com
