A LIFE LESS ORDINARY

Iam writing this on the plane back from Italy after attending the 75th Venice Film Festival. It was a red carpet extravaganza, with movie stars and celebrities galore. I was surrounded by dazzling watches from Jaeger-LeCoultre and extravagant haute couture gowns. I spent time with some of the world’s most prominent fashion influencers, who are fast becoming bona fide celebrities themselves. But it was what was beyond the carpet that truly captured my imagination: The 16th Venice Architecture Biennale, based around the theme of “free space”.The resulting exhibitions were strange, queer and completely unexpected. Indian architect Rahul Mehrotra’s “Soft Thresholds” blurred the lines between office workers and gardeners by playing with floating fabrics and video projections. Indonesian architect Andra Matin’s exhibit, “Elevation”, was an intricately woven rattan installation that explored the, well, elevational diversity of Indonesia’s vernacular architecture.To those of us unaccustomed to such structures, they looked somewhat clumsy; the spatial proportions so at odds with what our urban lens have come to acknowledge as aesthetically beautiful.Which brings me to the whole point of this issue: Challenging social norms.What is weird can be beautiful.What is odd can be lyrical.What is strange can make perfect sense. On the way to Venice, I watched the recent documentary, McQueen— a fascinating insight into one of fashion’s greatest talents and minds, a man who was highly controversial, manic and obsessed with the macabre. Alexander McQueen continually challenged society’s norms and yet, his often outlandish fashion was lauded for its perfect tailoring, incredible references and sublime construction. Flip to page 92 to meet five talented Singaporeans who have also eschewed the tried and tested route in fashion to give their personal take on style and craftsmanship.We continue our support for the

Harper’s BAZAAR Asia NewGen Fashion Award and feature the top three winners of the Singapore leg on page 84, two of whom are going onto the regional contest in late October. Their collections are sartorial observations on life and culture, and I love how they have translated that into clever, conceptual clothing. Finally, if you need any further confirmation that ugly is the new pretty, read Jamie Huckbody’s piece on why fashion is making freak chic on page 106.Welcome to the weird, the wild and the wonderful:Whether it’s living spaces or the clothes you wear, look beyond the gilded cage—the results might just astound and delight you.