3.1 on 11.3

As promised from last week I thought I'd introduce you to the world of 3.1 Philip Lim.

I was so excited when I got this top... not only because I got a killer deal on it, but because it was perfect for my Singapore/Bali vacation.  Light, and breezy with handcrafted embroidery details  it was the perfect wardrobe choice for the craftsman oriented island.

Embroidered detail on 3.1 Philip Lip top

It's no surprise that Philip Lim was the perfect choice for a trip to Southeast Asia... it's the designers homeland.  Philip Lim was actually born in Cambodia, and came to the United States (Southern California to be exact) in 1973 when his family fled from Cambodia's Civil War.

Philip Lim worked for Barney's before deciding he wanted to make fashion of his own (How fitting that Barney's is now one of the many major department stores to carry his line).  After this realization, he set himself up with an internship with Katayone Adeli, even with no formal training or portfolio.  By pure tenacity and talent, Philip eventually ended up on the design team.  It wasn't until 2005 that Philip (aged 31) along with his business partner Wen Zhou traversed the country and set up shop in SoHo, New York to launch his own collection 3.1 Philip Lim.  Now, the brand produces both men's and women's ready-to-wear, shoes, and handbags. In the 5 short years the company has been in business, Lim has managed to become one of the most successful contemporary designers in the world, even earning himself a CFDA Swarovski Award in 2007 for women's wear.

3.1 Philip Lim Fall 2011 from Style.com

3.1 Philip Lim Resort 2012 from Style.com

3.1 Philip Lim Spring 2012 from Style.com

Its no surprise he's done so well. His vision on fashion is one that is simple and genius all at the same time.  He states it best in that his clothes are meant to "refine, not define" the wearer.  Refine is the perfect word. Pieces from his collection instantly make any look pulled together, fresh, and sleek with just enough detail to give it that "designer" look in a completely effortless way. The use of high quality fabrications, and unique embellishments all combine to  form a so unidentifiable that it's identifiable high fashion style.  That almost couture detailing is what also puts this contemporary line at almost couture prices.  With the timeless quality of his designs though, 3.1 Phillip Lim is worth the investment.

Back from the Other Side

I should first off apologize, I dropped off the face of the earth for a while. Actually, I just went to the other side of it. Literally. 26 hours of traveling later, I went from Boston to Singapore. I have to say, it was unreal. Not only is it culturally diverse with some of the most amazing architecture and exotic scenery in the world... it's also a designer junkie's Mecca! Orchard Rd., Singapore's main shopping district, puts Newbury St. to shame. It was seriously fashion paradise.... aside from the 30% markup on everything!

After romping around Malaysia, surrounding myself  with orchids at the Botanic Gardens, visiting Holland Village, Chinatown, Little India, and Marina Bay it was off to Bali for a few days. (ugh life is so hard!)

I don't even know where to start with Bali.... there's a reason it's one of the worlds most visited tourist destinations. The tiny little island that's no bigger than the state of Delaware is a world all its own. The amazing beaches with their rolling surfs, the electric green rice paddies, the amazingly cordial people and the not so cordial but highly entertaining monkeys all help make this island well worth visiting (and the perfect place to break in my new favorite Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses).

This little guy was in the market for glasses too....  He's got good taste, he went right for Joe's Armani pair! 

Bali for me, might have well been cloud 9. I was surrounded by gorgeous scenery, and in one of Southeast Asia's largest artisan communities.  From woodworking, to silver, weaving to batik, Bali is home to it all.  In particular, I was excited to be in an area that is considered one of the originators of the batik art form.... one that I am actually trained in.  I studied textile and surface design in college... I chose to concentrate on batik and screen printing, and how you can combine the two. 

What is batik you ask? It's a decorative process in which hot wax is applied to a surface to act as a resist, then the surface is dyed, when the wax is removed from the surface, the waxed area that has been protected from absorbing the dye leaves you with the design you created.

Here are a few of the Batiks I picked up while I was there....

And here are a few I've done on my own....

As you can see, its a medium that allows for several variations in style.  A lot of this comes from the tools you use. Most of us use paint brushes and tjauntings (they are like little pens that allow you to draw with the hot wax) but another traditional tool used in many Indonesian batiks is what is known as a tjap.  These are basically metal stamps, often made of copper or brass that allow the artist to repeat a consistent motif  over and over again.  I was lucky enough to fin an antique one while I was in Ubud.  It's the pride and joy of my studio now.  I couldn't have been any more excited. 

I picked up a few more things in Bali as well... I couldn't pass up these embroidered slippers... the retro shape with that narrow "v" opening at the top is so Chanel Fall 2011. I wonder if they know how on trend they are in their little island.

I also adore this necklace Joe so graciously haggled over for me. This came from a silversmith in Celuk who was nice enough to show us her workshop. It's very John Hardy-esque (Who actually lives in Ubud, Bali).

The best thing I happened to pick up while I was there though, wasn't from Bali at all. In fact, it had traveled just like, me all the way from the United States......

Yup! We're engaged! I... We.... couldn't be happier, and I cant possibly think of a more romantic place to set the scene for our engagement story.  It was breathtaking, and perfect, and by far the most beautiful moment of my life. 

The Samara Villas in Ubud, not only did we stay here, this is where the magical moment took place!

And the ring... it is amazing! Joe designed it himself, using a family heirloom stone for the center of the setting.  It looks new and vintage all at the same time, and has wonderful sentiment built right in. He knows me all too well. Try to ignore my non-manicured hands in these pictures.

He also knows how much I love to multi task,so that top I'm wearing in those first pictures of as as fiances  is of course, one that I will be talking about a little later on.  How fitting that it's Phillip Lim, one of Southeast Asia's very own.

So now that you've seen what's been distracting me lately, hopefully you'll cut me a little slack. We'll get back to somewhat normal very soon... I say somewhat normal because I'm sure from here on out I'll need to throw out wedding planning interruptions every now and then.  I can't wait for this whole new chapter!