The Brandery Asia, Blueprint Emporium, A Wedding

After necessary visit to the dentist at Ngee Ann City, passed leggy blonde models taking a break from rehearsals for the Audi Fashion Festival Singapore 2012 (facebook) outside the Tent@Orchard downstairs, on the way to

BLUEPRINT Emporium (facebook) and the co-located The Brandery Asia at Suntec Convention Centre to grab a few things and chat with old friends there about life and the local fashion scene.

General public milling about, some deliberating over the complimentary beverage and Magnum ice-cream.

Just because i pointed out Feiyue shoes* (a confused PRC worker, staring at the exhibits, requested my assistance in reading the price tags. Could it really be S$89 for 一双童鞋? Yeah mate, curious innit.), Etiquette Clothiers socks*, Femmex accessories (“Hey isn’t this very Alexander McQueen (RIP)?” “At least they have the decency to sell it for a proper price unlike a certain Alexander Wang-inspired bag at the Emporium.” Same owner as Flesh Imp.), Baggu and Pointer footwear (both distributed by Rockstar by Soon Lee) at The Brandery;

Ling Wu python bags*, Fabrix bags, Mc5 bags, Modeco bags, Mystic Vintage specs,
Ong Shunmugam cheong sam-ishness, Fave By Kennyli,

and the organic forms in accessories/jewellery from Carrie K (facebook), Choo Yilin Artisan Jewellery**, Saprang (facebook), Tulola at BLUEPRINT, i am apparently a staid stick-in-the-mud. As if this wasn’t already incredibly obvious. But hey, who can resist that rose gold bowtie!

While it was fun to observe the result of the adventures of those for whom “wardrobe staples” is a bad word (and to mess around with bits of their clothes),
it was even better to be present at the celebration of the beginning of an even more wonderful adventure for two people: a wedding at Food For Thought at the Singapore Botanical Gardens. Design blog-worthy decor, a wonderful feast (David Heng’s team did an excellent job in the kitchen and front-of-house), fun stations (including photo booth) aside, their “self-written” vows (read from handmade books)

and that the first thing they did after publicly declaring their promises to each other was to take the Lord’s Supper together signalled their commitment to the submission of their exclusive relationship as husband and wife to God.

[Cue: screaming, running away?]

Which is why the friends, who once knew me well, reacted in mock horror when i mentioned this: you? Going for a wedding?! Actually lending encouragement to the old ball-and-chain and overpopulation of human beings? Pandering to societal expectations?

I guess the reason why attending weddings is lovely (and not just in wedding photog capacity) is that they will always remind me not just that the concept of marriage is of creational not societal design (that is, that God created man first to work the garden and take care of it, and then woman to be his helper, which is why a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife and be one flesh (Genesis 2)), but that marriage now looks forward to the day of consummation of the most intimate relationship ever created – the relationship between God and his people (Revelation 21). And so every wedding celebration is in fact a teaser for that Day, something that (despite the occasional occurrences of bridezilla-ness, pretension, and inter-familial conflict) one just can’t tire of watching.

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*Properly useful discounts were happening (many probably on samples): eg. Feiyue Shoes were going at a 30% discount for 2 pairs, Etiquette Clothiers socks – 20% off, Ling Wu bags – 20% off too (for the new Fall/Winter 2012 collection i think). Many tradespeople were only accepting cash payments.

**speaking of Singapore jewellery designers, we’re still missing the death and decay of (Lee Ker) Shing’s Argentum.