21.4.15

DOVE #CHOOSEBEAUTIFUL




Beautiful is a powerful 9-letter word. It's powerful because it means so much, to so many. All around the world, women have had a love/hate relationship with it. What's amazing about women is that they can see beauty in almost everyone and everything around them. However, I recently was reminded of the absurd reality that when it comes to describing themselves, most woman would not choose this particular word in a million years - 96% of them to be exact. According to a new global survey, 96% of women today would consider themselves as just...plain...average. 

Dove hopes to help change all that.



Dove's #ChooseBeautiful campaign encourages women to feel beautiful every single day. It presents being beautiful as a state-of-mind, rather than a form of validation we can only receive from others. Essentially, it encourages them to acknowledge their own self-worth and self-value, and reminds women that they have the power within themselves to be and feel beautiful.

A short time ago, I was lucky enough to be invited by Dove Indonesia to attend an event that celebrated this amazing campaign. During the event, the audience watched a short video made by Dove that centered around a social experiment (click here to watch). In it, various women around the globe are asked to either enter through a 'beautiful' door, or an 'average' door. It's a simple question, really - how do you perceive yourself, beautiful or average?


 


It was fascinating to see these women make real-life decisions solely based on how they viewed themselves. Confronted with this, a dominant portion chose the average door, and had no hesitation when doing so. Others weren't so sure and pondered for a few moments. Some were stuck in the middle, and some decided it was all too much and didn't go through either all together. Their raw testimonials about their struggle with self-esteem and self perception was heart-breaking and truthfully difficult to watch. However, towards the end, the message was clear: it's a choice you must make. A choice you've always had and always will have. The moment you believe it's true, is the moment it becomes real. 

If only more women knew it was that simple. Through this campaign, Dove hopes that if given the choice, every woman chooses to walk through the 'beautiful' door, and with confidence at that. 



Define beautiful? You'd have better luck trying to find a grain of sand in a haystack. Beauty goes far beyond physical appearance, something society and the media have not done the best job at conveying. The kind of beautiful we're discussing here, is skin-deep. The kind you can't see on any physical exterior. 

It's about accepting yourself as you are, flaws and all. But let's be real - accepting your flaws and imperfections is not an easy task. As women, we've consciously and unconsciously trained ourselves to set standards of perfection that are unrealistic and often impossible to acheive. It's important that we teach ourselves that beautiful does not equal to perfection. This is crucial. Those stretch marks, the acne scars that won't disappear, the pregnancy weight that stubbornly have not come off...the list goes on. The key is to accept those tiny cracks of insecurities, both physical and non-physical, and gradually learn to embrace them. Embracing oneself, hence, is the key to loving oneself. And only then can one consider oneself as beautiful.

Speakers at the event, which included psychologist Efnie Indrianie, film producer Sheila Timothy, and marketing director of skin cleansing and body care at Unilever Indonesia Eva Arisuci Rudjito, gave their two cents about what the campaign meant to them. Their meaningful words affirmed how important this message is. 


 

As a young woman who is extremely passionate about women empowerment, this campaign aligns with my opinions that every woman is a gift from God, a unique creation, beautiful and powerful in her own way. In fact, if I had one wish, it would be to have every single little girl grow up knowing and believing this. It's imperative to feel confident about who we are and rid the guilt of feeling beautiful in order to make the best life choices for ourselves. So for all the little girls and women of the world; remember to always #ChooseBeautiful.




xx


Elizabeth  





19.4.15

SAVAGE BEAUTY

The title of this week's outfit post is named after Natalia Kiantoro's Spring Summer 2015 collection, Savage Beauty. She's quickly becoming one of our favorite local designers for her edgy, sophisticated, and modern designs! 

In this post, I am wearing the Physalli top and Chyrissa culotte shorts and it is just divine to add that punch of glamour into your spring/summer wardrobe. The details on this piece is also not to be missed. I just love the intricate sheer cutouts of this top. Furthermore, since this is a two piece look, you can match it up with a number of different classic staples in your closet such as high waist jeans/skirt with the crop or a crisp white button down shirt with the culotte shorts. 

Many more summer looks coming soon, can't wait to share it with you all!



xx


Maria 




15.4.15

SILKAIR CABIN CREW GO SKY HIGH WITH SOPHISTICATED NEW LOOK



Hello everyone! I hope you all had a lovely weekend and a positive midweek so far. I want to share with you my recent exciting time in Singapore over the past weekend. I was recently invited to attend the "SilkAir New Colours Runway Show" with the objective of launching the new series of SilkAir cabin crew uniforms as well  as to showcase the crew's new sophisticated and professional image. 

But before I attended the show in Singapore, of course I had the privilege of flying with SilkAir and had a chance to experience the excellent service of the regional wing of Singapore Airlines. Asia's most awarded regional carrier, SilkAir (http://www.silkair.com/ & http://www.facebook.com/SilkAir) operates more than 350 flights weekly to 49 destinations across 12 countries, including Indonesia no doubt! The following are the Indonesian cities SilkAir flies to and from:


- Denpasar, Balikpapan, Bandung, Lombok, Makassar, Manado, Medan, 
Palembang, Pekanbaru, Semarang, Surabaya, Yogyakarta. 


Since I am currently located in Jakarta, I travelled to Bandung for my morning flight to Singapore. One thing I have to mention is that I am a heavy packer! It doesn't matter where I am going or for how many days, I always over pack! It is truly one of my weaknesses, but hey, I'm that type of person who wants to be ready (style wise) for any occasion, event, you name it! Even if it is for the weekend. So, just like usual, I packed like I was going to migrate, but no worries! Because SilkAir provides standard baggage allowance of 40kg for Business class passengers, and 30kg for Economy class passengers. Trust me, this was heaven to my ears! 


(First view of the interior as I step on board)
(Ready to welcome it's passengers!)



After a very easy and fast check-in process I was welcomed on board with a very friendly cabin crew and throughout the flight, it was quite clear that the SilkAir staff are committed to providing a genuinely friendly service to their passengers, making them feel welcomed and relaxed. 

On another note, when I fly, there are certain points that I look forward to the most. The inflight entertainment as well as the inflight meals. Both were excellent. With the addition of short silent feature screenings (on flights with flight time of more than 1.5 hours), SilkAir also launched the new SilkAir Studio, which is a really fun inflight amenity. This is a new wireless inflight entertainment system, which allows passengers to download movies, short features and music albums, straight to their personal devices. Just connect with the inflight SilkAir wifi and I was ready to watch movies straight on my iphone/laptop! 


(Choose from Movies, short features, to music for your infight entertainment)
(Watched a movie straight on my iphone with SilkAir Studio)


In terms of the inflight meals, they focus on delicious Asian cuisine paying tribute to the culinary melting pot that is Singapore. This includes Nasi Lemak, Roti Jala, and Mee Siam. For Economy class, meals typically consist of a main course, dessert, and drinks. For Business class, they have freshly plated meals consisting of an appetizer, choice of bread rolls, main course, desert and drinks. There is also a wide selection of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks that is available on board. I had the pleasure of experiencing both Economy and Business class meals, both very satisfying! All in all, the experience truly epitomized SilkAir's brand campaign 'A Joy To Fly'. 

(Delicious menu for Business class passengers)
(Beautifully plated meal)
(Loved my Economy class inflight meal)

Now on to the main event! The fashion showcase was one that I was highly anticipating as the venue itself hinted on soaring heights and sky high views. Held at Ion Sky lounge, located 56 levels up, it felt like we were literally on board a SilkAir Flight! Cabin crew members were there to welcome us to the venue, with flight tickets as our personal invites. Super cute! Just like any real flight, guests were treated with warm hospitality as well as offerings one can find on board such as peanuts and towels and inflight entertainment. 

(Ready for the show with my ticket invitation!)
(Cabin crew members welcoming guests onboard the SilkAir Runway Show)
(Guests wait for the show to start)
(SilkAir's inflight magazine, Silkwinds)
(Flipping through the pages of Silkwinds)

After a keynote from Chief Executive of SilkAir, Mr. Leslie Thng, the show was ready to begin. Directed and styled by homegrown fashion guru, Daniel Boey, and hosted by local celebrity, Benjamin Kheng, the show started off with an introduction of SilkAir's uniforms throughout the years all the way back from the year 1989 to the new designs of 2015. 

A bit of background info on the designer herself, the new collection was designed by Alexandria Chen, a homegrown Singaporean womenswear designer with her own fashion label, "Alexandria Chen". She is known for her feminine and sophisticated clothes for the confident urban woman which was perfect for SilkAir's new cabin crew uniforms. 

The new uniform design embodies a sophisticated image and embraces a new chic style that demonstrates the airline's ongoing commitment to ensuring the brand remains relevant for the times. The new one-piece uniform comes in two variations - aqua blue (for junior crew) and a plum-red version (for senior crew). Both versions of the uniform are paired with a dark blue skirt, creating a synergy with the image of Singapore Airlines, SilkAir's parent company. 



(Chief Executive of SilkAir, Mr. Leslie Thng gives the keynote)
(Year 1989 - 1994: Celia Loe one-piece dress with seagull motifs)
(Year 2004-2015: One-piece wrap dress)
(NEW: One-piece aqua-blue/dark blue dress)

Commenting on the new design, designer Alexandria Chen stated, "I wanted it to be more modern,  sleek, and elegant look. With the asymmetric neckline, sleeve pleats, as well as the seagull patterned georgette bow pin, to me it symbolizes attention to detail". The mixture of bright and dark colours create a classy appeal with a touch of vibrancy to reflect a youthful liveliness that customers can expect. 

Concerning it's comfort and flexibility factor, I asked one of the cabin crew members wearing the new design and she said, "it is more stylish yet it is very comfortable to wear. It is flexible and it is very important as this allows cabin crew easy movement as they go about their duties throughout the flight". Both comfort and design in mind, the chic new cabin crew designs embodies SilkAir's professional image and demonstrates its ongoing commitment to staying relevant to modern times. 


(Designer Alexandria Chen with the new cabin crew uniforms she designed)
(Alexandria speaking about the concept and inspiration for her designs)
(A guest takes a picture of the "Inflight Entertainment" for the night)
(The Sam Willows entertained guests with catchy tunes)

After a wonderful runway show followed by some "inflight entertainment" from the band The Sam Willows, my SilkAir New Colours flight was coming to an end. Thank you for the uber smooth flight! 


xx


Maria



9.4.15

VENEZIA



I guess this was my edgy-biker-chic-with-a-preppy-twist look. The 90% black ensemble was saved by a classic white button down under a bejeweled necklace, ruby lips and a hat to match. By the way, I love how easy it is to upgrade any basic/boring outfit with a good biker jacket! Also, might I suggest that visiting Venice in 15cm heels is NOT, I repeat, not recommended under any usual circumstances, unless putting your feet through pure agony is your thing. Don't worry, I took mine off exactly 15 minutes after these photos were taken. The streets are gorgeous, but uneven and cobbled throughout. And since you'll be doing a lot of walking (Venice is considered to be the greatest pedestrian city on Earth), you should stick to the most comfortable pair of shoes you own. 

Furthermore, I want to point out that that day was extra cold out. I vividly remember fingers and toes being numb from the bone-chilling temperatures and winds. But despite the brutality of the elements, Venice's beauty surpassed it all. Nothing, it seemed, could hold back its unwavering character. Til' we meet again, dear Venezia. 





xx


Elizabeth