Limited Edition Alert! PAUL SMITH x INDIGO FARM Crossover Jeans

This may come as news to some, but there are certainly more than a few high-quality denim specialty factories in China - one being Indigo Farm.
Indigo-dyeing has been practised in China for thousands of years (dating as early as 1600-2100 B.C. - in fact it was said that only between the between the 5th and 7th centuries A.D. was the craft brought over to Japan) and it was their great passion for this ancient and traditional artisan skill that inspired a group of Chinese “peasants” to leverage their 30-year rich experience and set up Indigo Farm in 2001 - “the beginning of a new millennium”, as they put it.
(The Chinese name of Indigo Farm is composed of two characters: “藍”, meaning blue, i.e., the colour of indigo, and “龍”, which means "dragon" and is usually representative of China.)

By using Zimbabwean cotton (recognised as one of the highest quality cotton types in the world) woven on decades-old Japanese selvedge looms, not only has Indigo Farm been able to put together a cohesive aesthetic at fair retail prices, they have also earned the attention of reputable collaborators like Garbstore (the Portobello, London-based cult menswear line as well as the brainchild of ex-Paul Smith designer Ian Paley) and Sir Paul Smith himself.

For their project with Paul Smith, Indigo Farm produced a simple yet extremely well-made slim fit red-selvege jean. Each pair is hand-dyed in a dark indigo rinse wash, and features an internal woven satin label with exclusive print for the collaboration and an external embroidered star.
Exceptionally limited, this Paul Smith x Indigo Farm crossover retails for £175 in the U.K. and HK$2290 in Hong Kong. Don't miss your chance to own a pair of this super-premium!

REBECCA TAYLOR Pin Dot Ruffled Dress

Everyone needs a polka dot dress! Updated with a feminine ruffle-trimmed V-neck and a gentle fit, this breezy little mini is nothing short of pure magic. Cute and sexy - that's Rebecca Taylor for you!
(RRP US$350 or £360)

ASH (Italy) Studded Leather Sandals

This very clean-looking studded leather pair occupies the minimal side of the sandal spectrum -- something that Italian label Ash always does very well. We love the barely-there simplicity, accented with just a neat row of studs, which, while showing off your perfectly pedicured feet, would look just as fab on a beach as they would at your leisurely Sunday brunch in town.
(RRP £135 or US$198)

BCBG Snake-Print Vest

BCBG Max Azria again switches it up with snake-print! Sleek and slithery, this vest will bring an exotic texture to your simple outfits. Toss it over a sheer tank and denim cut-offs for off-duty glam, or pull together a bold layered look with everything from skinny jeans to a minimalist all-black ensemble.
(RRP US$188)

REBECCA TAYLOR Water Colour Dress

What's the recipe for an awesome day? This Rebecca Taylor dress knows the secret ingredients!
Sweet, feminine and sexy, this dress offers the prettiest water colour print, a romantic ruffled v-neckline, easy smocked waist, and a key-hole detail at back for an added hint of hotness.
Put on this gorgeous number, pair it with Summer wedges/espadrilles and silver/gold jewellery, and finish with a megawatt smile and a positive attitude for a look that will attract boundless opportunities as your day proceeds!
(RRP US$350)

NEW ARRIVALS - 8 Jun (Wednesday)

Wicked Wednesday greetings, dear friends.
June is here, and with it comes a number of things that should make just about everyone happy: vacations, shopping for Dads, attending weddings, and more NEW ARRIVALS at wondermomo and Whoop!
Here are the highlights of what we received this week -- for the ladies, gentlemen, and everyone fabulously in between:-
Tory Burch, DVF and Alexander Wang bags, Cerruti 1881, Denham (new from Amsterdam!), Filippa K skinny jeans, Paul Smith x Indigo Farm limited edition denim, AllSaints Spitalfields jeans, footwear from Y-3, Dolce & Gabbana mainline and Bally, Technomarine watches, and eyewear by Ksubi, Chronicles of Never, Graz, and the legendary Dita!
Come over soon to see, appreciate, and own one of these desirable wonders :-D

[Image: Teddie Tze Shan, Penang]

TORY BURCH Stretch Ballet Flats

We’re always in the mood for ANOHER pair of shoes - especially if they’re Tory Burch!
With a striped elastic band around the collar and a gleaming T medallion over the rounded toe, these sportily refined ballet flats will let you refresh your favourite day dresses - or denim look - of the season. Wear ‘em, and your feet will love you forever! :-D
(RRP US$225)

New Brand Alert! DENHAM (Amsterdam)

It couldn’t have been anything else but destiny for Englishman Jason Denham. His family name pronounced “denim”, this creative “jeanius” gained solid “jeansperience” (see what we did) with Pepe Jeans, which relocated him to Amsterdam. There, he opened a consultancy agency (assisting clients such as LVMH, Swift Denim, and Kuyichi) and set up his own jeans brand Blue Blood.
In 2008, after traveling throughout Europe, the U.S. and Japan, Denham recognised a need for newness in the industry. The way he saw it, the jeans market works in cycles -- Scandinavia has led the market for the last five years, California five years before that, and Japan five years before that. Convinced that Amsterdam will be the new jeans capital of Europe, Denham was inspired to develop ‘Denham the Jeanmaker’, a label into which he pours his most personal visions and demonstrates his modest but sincere resolve to resist compromise.
Today, Denham the Jeanmaker is wowing fans across the planet not only with its jeans, but also with its ever-growing collections of compatible apparel and accessories.


The Denham logo says it all - it is the tailor’s scissors used by Jason Denham to cut his first pair of jeans. It’s also a symbol of the passion, continuity and creativity of the brand.


This year, Denham started the ‘Denham House Guest Artist Project’, whereby the label invites an artist whose work it admires to express elements of Denham the brand through a special artwork. The work is then integrated into special limited edition styles in Denham’s collection.
The very first artist selected was Alljan Moehamad, a talented Dutch artist with a cult following. (He also happens to be a photographer whose work has been commissioned by Evisu, Kswiss, and Buddha to Buddha.) Using his signature mind-bending pen-and-ink illustrations, Moehamad skillfully blended the iconic Denham scissors logo with a superb selection of skulls, producing a limited edition Denham range that picked up major press during its Jan 2011 launch.


Jason Denham and Alljan Moehamad at the launch party celebrating their team-up.


Denham then followed up with a highly-praised collaboration with the iconic London label ‘A Child of the Jago’. Named after Arthur Morrison's acclaimed and controversial 1896 novel, A Child of the Jago is the brainchild of designer Simon “Barnzley” Armitage and Agent Provocateur mastermind (and the son of Vivienne Westwood and the late Malcolm McLaren) Joseph Corre.

Different, distinct, and very limited, these Denham collab tees are great additions to any wardrobe.
(RRP €49.90)

The three Denham boutiques (Amsterdam, Tokyo, and London) feature a simple but cool ‘artisan denim craft’-inspired interior design.

etc.

To: New Parents.
How many of you are going to take this brilliant idea and start writing letters to your children? A secret time capsule and journal for your children. Google Chrome, you captured our hearts with this one. We even shed a tear.

P.S. Do drop by wondermomo and Whoop! for Father's Day gift ideas that won't break the bank :-)
(Yes, Father's Day is fast approaching - 19 June!)

Hot Designer Alert! CHRONICLES OF NEVER (Australia)

Australian designer Gareth Moody is a name likely to trigger the memory for his part in fashion's bad boy trio, Tsubi/Ksubi. In 2005, Moody left Ksubi to forge his own path with Chronicles of Never.
Marking a departure from the rock-n-roll canon of Ksubi, Chronicles of Never derives both its name and aesthetic from - but of course - Neverland, a fake reality, and the dream-like state and ‘other-worldliness’ one associates with such a concept. As Moody describes it, Chronicles of Never is " loosely based upon mathematics and heavily influenced by architecture and geometrics, big manga dreams and a love for industrial material".

In the initial stages of launching Chronicles of Never, Moody had a ‘non-compete’ clause in his contract with Ksubi, limiting his ability to create certain clothing items. That has since lapsed, allowing Gareth to apply his knowledge and skills to fully develop Chronicles of Never into a mainstay fashion line, with men’s and (newly launched) women’s ranges, bespoke shoes, and a highly-praised collaboration with Graz Eyewear (the label of Graeme Mulcahy, another former Ksubi alum). Judging by the support from fans and admirers, the ongoing success of Chronicles of Never is definitely no fake reality.


In keeping with the label's sensibilities, Chronicles of Never eyewear plays with colour or rather lack of color. The frames tend to use dark tones - black, and tortoise, with gradient or darkly tinted lenses, and strong geometric styles. Edgy and sophisticated, there is something very grown-up about these unisex sunglasses -- a mood that subtly says "don't screw with me". Each frame is a LIMITED EDITION, so don't wait too long!
(RRP £229 ~ £275)

Happy Dumpling Festival

Legend has it that the Dumpling Festival aka Dragon Boat Festival commemorates the popular Chinese patriot, Qu Yuan, who in the 3rd century in protest of a corrupt government threw himself into the Mi Lo River in despair. Upon hearing the news, local people frantically raced out in boats to save him, and to scare away any fish who might want to eat him pounded drums and threw rice into the river - sadly, they arrived too late. As legend has it, boat races and ceremonial sacrifices of rice were performed each year to symbolise the valiant attempts to rescue Qu Yuan.

BCBG MAX AZRIA Snake-Print Shorts

Show off those legs! BCBG takes snakeskin - a print often seen on bags and shoes - and splashes it on sassy shorts to make a wild statement. The snake-print works with almost anything, so have great big fun with it on your day of play!
(P.S. You’re guaranteed to love the mid-rise waist, relaxed fit through the leg, and side slash-pockets.)
(RRP US$228)

Etc.

Yay! The first player from an Asian nation to win a tennis grand slam title ever! Congratulations to Li Na for writing her name into history books. Who knows what she is capable of heading into Wimbledon!

NEW ARRIVALS - 31 May (Tuesday)

Dear Pals,
Ahh, it's Tuesday, and the week is moving on, but it is not quite Hump Day yet.
It's also the last day of the month, (and your paycheck is burning a hole through your pocket), and you've got an exciting month of June to look forward to.

OK no more beating around the bush: NEW ARRIVALS are just in at wondermomo!
We have combed all of our favourite old and first-time brands and found several new items that you'll need stat:-

ALICE by Temperley (the new diffusion line of Temperley London, the house behind Pippa Middleton's sensational green goddess gown), BCBG Max Azria, Bird by Juicy Couture (more serious and mature but still chic with a touch of hippie), DVF, Elizabeth and James, Givenchy, Rebecca Taylor, Theyskens' Theory (in great demand and selling out everywhere), 72 Changes (Taiwan's biggest star Jolin Tsai fulfills her fashion design dream, and quite deftly, too), Vanessa Bruno, Z Zegna for Men, and more.

This collection is available at this very moment in wondermomo -- come forth and be warmly welcomed and thrilled.

BIRD BY JUICY COUTURE Printed Kaftan Dress

Re-energise your wardrobe with this boho-chic printed kaftan dress from Bird by Juicy Couture. Cinch in the soft fabric with the simple belt and keep the brushstroke print in focus with tan heeled sandals.
(RRP US$380)

BIRD BY JUICY COUTURE
Priced about 30% higher than the Juicy Couture label, the Bird by Juicy Couture collection consists of more sophisticated pieces inspired by timeless vintage silhouettes. It’s a different take on the Juicy girl: more like a "well-travelled sister with an impeccably tailored wardrobe and closet you can't help but raid" :-)