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After unsuccessful attempts to persuade his childhood friend, King Polixenes, to stay longer in his kingdom, Leontes sends his queen, Hermione, to convince him. Shocked to discover she easily persuaded him with just 3 sentences, Leontes suspects his pregnant wife of having committed adultery with Polixenes in Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale.

In events that lead to confusion, betrayal and death, the Shakespearean play unfolds as a magical testament to to the follies of hasty judgment, cleverly showcasing the force of love as a means of reconciliation.

The production is part of an initiative known as The Bridge Project, which is a partnership between the Brooklyn Academy of Music, London’s Old Vic Theatre, and Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes.

Mendes marshalls a stellar cast, which includes American heartthrob actor Ethan Hawke (Fast Food Nation), for 8 performances in Singapore – the only Asian stop in the company’s 2009 world tour.

Dates: Mar 26 – Mar 31
Time: 8pm, Sat, Sun, and Tue (which also has a 3pm matinee)
Venue: Esplanade Theatre
Prices: $40, $50, $70, $90, $120, $150, $175 (Tue 3pm matinee show)

$65, $85, $120, $160, $200, $250, $300 (Tue-Thu 8pm shows, Sat & Sun 3pm matinee shows)

$70, $100, $135, $185, $225, $275, $325 (Fri-Sat 8pm shows)

Text by Chrystal Chua

Finally, another amazing production composed by the legendary Andrew Lloyd Webber. Just as poignant as The Phantom of The Opera, CATS Now and Forever returns to spice up our local theatre scene for the second time at the Esplanade Theatre.

Starring 48-year-old New Zealander Delia Hannah, one of musical theatre’s biggest stars, this Australian production of CATS promises to be upbeat, spectacular and an all-round worthwhile trip.

Currently the longest-running musical in London’s West End, CATS has been performed for 21 years in over 26 countries and in approximately 300 cities. It has been translated into 10 languages. With magnificent music, seamless choreography and an out-of-this-world set, CATS is definitely one musical not to be missed.

Bring down the whole family to watch as you’ll never know when this musical will hit the town again.

Performance details

Dates: Apr 10 – May 3
Time: Tue to Fri – 8pm; Sat – 2pm, 8pm; Sun – 2pm, 7pm
Venue: Esplanade Theatre
Prices: $400 Family Package (2 Adults + 2 Students)
Concessions – $50 for Students only (Not applicable on 14 Apr)

Text by Kristie Chiew

Text by Nadia Shah

If you’re into popping, locking and the theatre, extreme dance comedy Break Out may be just the dance-play for you.

From the Koreans who brought you martial arts comedy Jump to Singapore last year, comes another delight just waiting to be savoured.

Break Out, directed by Jun-Beom Juen, tells the tale of 5 prisoners breaking out of prison to seek solace in a convent. The play, which incorporates breakdancing, gymnastics, yoga and slapstick humour, was a smash hit at its West End world premiere last year and was later a sold- out frenzy at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2007.

And with a motley crew of characters from prisoners, to nurses and nuns, it promises a fun time for the entire family.

Polytechnic student Jeevithan Muralitharan, 19, says, “I watched Jump last year and loved it, so I’m
definitely going to watch this. Plus, it incorporates breakdancing, which I think is interesting.”

Performance details

Dates: Feb 13 – Feb 15
Time: Sat & Sun Only – 3pm
Fri & Sat Only – 8pm
Venue: Esplanade Theatre

Prices: $38, $58, $68, $78

Women, Women, Women, they rule the show. Do not under estimate the allure of a black lace bra.

Whilst fighting for the same bra in a store, four women from different walks of life, a Professional, a Housewife, a Hippie Earth Mother and a Soap Star, manage to engage in a conversation-turned-musical revolving around menopause.
It becomes a session filled with wild womanly fun, as they tackle issues like hot flashes, night sweats, memory loss, chocolate binges, sex and performs a series of parody of top hits from memory lane. Think “Stayin’ Awake! Stayin’ Awake!” inspired by the disco-favourite, “ Stayin’ Alive”.

The concept the musical hopes to bring across is, ‘celebrating the change’, which writer and producer Jeanie C. Linders created after being inspired by a hot flash and a glass of wine.

Ladies, walk out of the theatre feeling energised and ready to rock your life, with or without menopause.

Performance detail

Dates: Feb 6 – Feb 21
Time: Tue – Fri 8pm; Sat 3pm-8pm; Sun 3pm
Venue: DBS Arts Centre – Home of SRT
Prices: $58, $78, $98

Text by Lau Liang Tong

Everyone’s favourite beach party is back and this time round, with a bigger bang!

Presenting a greater lineup of fantastic acts such as 2000’s World’s Best DJ, DJ Sasha, Zouk’s Resident DJ Andrew Chow, as well as performances by Electrico, Nouvelle Vague and The Teenagers, ZoukOut 2008’s definitely succeeds in its aim to bring you The Golden Experience.

UrbanWire offers you a look at the much-coveted beach dance party of the year, which took place on Dec 13 this year on the golden sands of Siloso Beach.

“>UrbanWire: ZoukOut 2008

The atmosphere was electrifying as thousands of party-goers thronged the four arenas: Mambo Jambo, Hip Hop, the Main Arena and Velvet Underground.

Those preferring not to squeeze through the jam-packed dance floors entertained themselves with the wide varieties of fringe activities, which included aerial shows, bungee rides, pool-dipping, fortune-telling and many more.

UrbanWire was particularly amused by the Mambo Jambo crowd, especially when the hyped-up few showed off their well-coordinated hand moves atop the podium.

With an array of drinks going at affordable prices, the party-goers drank to their hearts’ content, guzzling anything from Vodka Redbulls to Heinekens to Bourbons.

UrbanWire was invited by the good people from Heineken to the Heineken Oasis Room, where icy-cold Heineken goodness did us well in beating the humidity.

As the night wore on, the crowd only grew in size, and the music in all its groovy factor. The common consensus that this UrbanWire reporter got from her friends and party-goers alike was that ZoukOut 2008 was a blaring success.

Now, where’s ZoukOut 2009 already?

Here’s what the UrbanWire thought would aptly describe Ben & Jerry’s Chunk Fest: Yummy, rockin’, fabulously fun and absolutely moo-licious.

And oh, did we mention yummy for the ice cream already?

Even the sporadic rainy weather and muddy fields could not dampen the spirits of the huge crowds thronging Fort Canning Green on Dec 6. There were people dotting the greens, with some settling down for picnics, and others busy taking snapshots of the good time they were having.

As the day wore on to evening, people were still making their way in to have a great time with friends and family.

Ben & Jerry’s hippies posing for the camera.

With fortune-telling tents, airbrush tattoo services, graffiti painting and caricature drawing lining the side of the sprawling open area, the crowd was spoilt for choice with the wide variety of fringe activities available.

But how could we not mention the highlight of the Chunk Fest? The Vermonster Eating Contest.

When huge tubs of ice cream were plonked down in front of them, some teams appeared slightly nervous, some were busy stretching in preparation, while others simply gazed longingly at the ice cream in the unbelievably humid weather.

With standup comedian Jonathan Atherton emceeing the Chunk Fest, lots of laughs were guaranteed. He specifically reminded the crowd to “never ever invite the winners of the Vermonster Eating Contest home for dinner”, especially when they finished 20 scoops of ice cream in nearly under 3 minutes.

Ben & Jerry’s Chunk Fest Vermonster Eating Contest

Three Brownies & The Noodle at the Ben & Jerry’s Chunk Fest

A whole lot of chowing action later, the winners of the contest emerged. Monstertruckers took home the first prize, Three Brownies and The Noodle clinched second place, while Chunk-a-licious was the second runnerup.

The winning teams on stage.

The aftermath of the Vermonster Eating Contest.

The ice cream fanatics had something other than the eating contest to look forward to: the 12 Ben & Jerry’s flavours brought in from the United States.

The queues for the limited ice cream flavours were snaking long, at a point in time the UrbanWire estimated, hitting 120 meters. Still, the thought of licking icy-cool ice cream to beat the heat left most feeling good-natured.

UrbanWire had a taste of two flavours: Pumpkin Cheesecake and Peanut Butter Cookie Dough. While the former we would only say is an acquired taste, Peanut Butter Cookie Dough was chewy, doughy and most definitely yummy!

What UrbanWire particularly liked about the Chunk Fest though, was the employment of Flogos (Flying Logos, hence Flogos, geddit?), a foam-making machine which blasted out foam shapes such as stars, hearts, flowers and the internationally-known peace logo. As kids crowd around the machine staring in fascination, adults likewise took out their cameras to snap the adorable, fluffy-looking shapes.

Into the night, Fort Canning rocked and grooved to popular and familiar hits like “The Falala Song”, “Viva La Vida”, “Dancing Queen”, “It’s My Life” and “Take Me Out” by local bands like Tabula, Jack and Rai, Good Fellas and 53A.

For those of you who missed out on Chunk Fest or still haven’t gotten enough of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, here are 4 things the UrbanWire would advise you to do:

1. Go buy a tub of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream from your local convenience store.

2. Finish the tub while watching the above 2 Ben & Jerry’s videos. On loop, mind you.

3. Pray the next Ben & Jerry’s Chunk Fest will happen early.

4. Keep praying.

Chunk Fest pictures copyright of Brian Cheong and Eileen Kang.

What do you want to do when you hit 60?
Go skydiving? Travel around the world? Meet the president?

Perhaps in due time you’ll figure it out, but sports giant PUMA, certainly knew it, and acted anything but its age.

At its 60th birthday bash, PUMA turned Butter Factory into a sporting shrine, where trend-setting products previously worn by legendary athletes were again displayed under spotlights.

Former World No.1 tennis player Boris Becker, the first FIFA World Player of The Year Lothar Matthaus, Olympics and World Record Holder sprinter Usain Bolt, to name a few, are among the best known athletes whose PUMA apparel were showcased in the Iconic Gallery titled Past, Present and Future.

Sheryl Wong, General Manager and Gabriel Yap, Marketing Manager blowing out the candles.

To further illustrate PUMA’s outstanding achievements in sports and fashion, a fashion show, where 6 local designers were invited to interpret PUMA’s styles throughout the decades with the accompaniment of pumpin’ music, was presented.

First up came the collection from Keith Png, designer of the label Koops.

Set in the 1920s, the selection of apparel consists mainly of neutral colours such as brown, with textured jackets used in abundance. This UrbanWire reporter can’t be sure if the colours were intentionally chosen to depict the crisis present during the 20s -The Great Depression – but if they were, they sure were appropriate.

Bringing us to the 60s is Dolphine Chia.

Her inspiration being vastly different from Keith’s, she splashed bold, contrasting colours in the form of stripes, graphic tees and funky sunnies. With the layering trend very much still alive, Dolphine banked on the rage, throwing striped cardigans over graphic tees and striped knee-high socks.

After an intermission, where the party-goers were treated to a session of freestyle football, the fashion show time machine proceeded on to the 1970s.

Emitting a laidback chic aura, the models appeared in rollerskates, skimming the floor lazily.

This collection by Nicholas Wong of Nicholas was fairly similar to that of the 20s, with the exception of one thing: underneath all the neutral outerwear, UrbanWire spotted flashes of warm colours. The sudden acknowledgment of hues definitely added a pleasant element of surprise.

Remember the hottest movie of the 1980s, Flashdance?

Not only did the film push music videos in it to fame, it too sold professional dancewear as fashionable streetwear. Unveiling a collection clearly influenced by Flashdance, fashion stylist Steven Kong dressed his models in leotards paired with leggings, and walked them down the runway. The tight-fitting outfits only served to accentuate the toned physiques of the male models, while the females’ never-ending gams were played up by the short hemlines

URBAN’s Chief Stylist Jerome Awasthi chose to reproduce the 90s with an interesting mix of windbreakers and berms. If you don’t know what the latter are, they’re short for bermudas or casual knee-length trousers. What this UrbanWire reporter found cute though, were the coordinated pairs of sneakers every model had on.

After a rush through the past, Frederick Lee, one of Singapore’s most sought-after couturier took on the task of presenting PUMA’s present collections, touted to shake the fashion industry in the near future. This selection too, incorporated many of the current season’s trends – frills, animal prints, short hemlines and tights.

As the fashion show drew to a close, PUMA left its well-dressed attendees to their own devices, while spoiling them with a free flow of drinks and alcohol.

A memorable Iconic Gallery, a delectable fashion show bringing us through the ages, and a night of revelry.

Now you know what kind of party you can throw when you hit the big 6-0.

If you’re the sort who eats ice cream, thinks ice cream, dreams ice cream, congratulations, your dreams have come true.

Your fairy godmother? Ben & Jerry’s.

Come Dec 6, the well-loved ice cream brand will be holding its very first Chunk Fest.

Named as such “in honour of the delicious chunky add-ins found in every single Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream”, Chunk Fest promises to deliver a “moovellous concotion of great activities, moosic from the best local bands and DJs, great food, and euphoric amounts of ice cream”.

Well, they said it, so you better believe it.

To better entice you, Ben & Jerry’s bringing in 12 exclusive ice cream flavours available only in the United States, in addition to 22 flavours currently offered in local scoop shops. Pumpkin Cheesecake, Cinnamon Buns, Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, Triple Caramel Chunk; if the names don’t leave you salivating already, tasting them certainly will.

And if you still haven’t gotten your fill of ice cream, take part in the Vermonster Eating Contest and stuff yourself silly. 20 scoops of ice cream topped with 20 scoops of toppings that include savoury hot fudge, chocolate chip cookies, walnuts, chocolate jimmies, chunks of Reese’s and colourful M&Ms topped with whipped cream. That’s right, the contest’s going to put a whole new meaning to “ice cream feast”.

Still not convinced? Why not head down for yourself to experience all that icy-cool goodness?

Then, with your tummy full of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, log onto the UrbanWire, as we bring you the chowing action from the Vermonster Eating Contest.

That’s right, not only can you have your ice cream, you can eat it, and watch others eating it too!

The Ben & Jerry’s Chunk Fest will be taking place at Fort Canning Green from 2pm to 11pm.

Admission is free for all.

A huge rottweiler charges towards your dog. A million questions race through your mind. Is it going to rip my pet apart? Tear its throat out? Maul it like a rag doll? With bated breath, you await the helpless cries of the victim. Your baby yelps. But wait, the yelp rings of joy, not fear. The big, black hound’s not swiping, but pawing playfully. It’s not biting, just nipping gently. The rottie’s not on a death chase, it’s in a frolicsome jog.

The rottweiler a natural born killer? No, it’s not.

Not all of us share the same sentiments. A recent report in The Straits Times announced proposed rules for owners of rottweilers issued by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA). One has to fulfill several conditions: leashing and muzzling the dog in public; implanting a microchip in the animal; taking up an insurance policy of at least $100,000; putting up a banker’s guarantee of $2,000, which is forfeited if the dog strays, bites a person or is reported lost; and sending the dog for obedience training.

This Breed-Specific-Legislation (BSL) that the AVA seems so intent to pass, means one will incur insanely high costs to have one.

But really, are the dogs to blame? Are they as ferocious, menacing, and aggressive as they are made out to be? The statistics speak for themselves. According to The New Paper (TNP), there are 323 rottweilers in Singapore. 60 dog-biting cases take place every year. Out of the 60 cases, 3 of them involve this breed. That’s 5 per cent. And due to the negative reporting of this 5 per cent of rotten apples, the entire community is under public scrutiny, fighting off biased, vicious comments thrown their way.

The Strait Times article was headlined with “AVA to take the bite out of rottweilers”, portraying them as “potentially dangerous dogs” even before the reader gets past the byline.

However, according to TNP’s report, the rottweiler is made out by the American Kennel Club to be a “calm, confident and courageous dog that chooses friendships carefully”. It also harbors a strong “desire to protect home and family, and is an intelligent dog with a strong willingness to work”. We don’t see any of these qualities emphasized in certain reports.

Instead, rottweilers are often portrayed as being bred to kill. Strong words such as “mauled”, “tore” and “ripped” are used, and the viciousness of the bite is often played up. According to the 2002 Canadian Hospital Injury Reporting and Prevention Program, the top 4 dog biters are, in order of prevalence of occurrence: the German shepherd, cocker spaniel, rottweiler and golden retriever. Shocking? You probably didn’t see “cocker spaniel” and “golden retriever” coming, because they are often depicted as gentle, family dogs.

Why is there a disparity in the treatment of rottweilers? As TK Haw, 31, owner of two rottweilers puts it, “For every vicious attack you hear in the media… there are hundreds if not thousands more [of the dogs] that work every day beside responsible owners that engage their dogs mentally and physically.”

Bear is the older of the duo but is distinctively smaller in size. He is the disciplinarian whereas Bruno is the fun-lover

TK’s Rottweilers, Bear and Bruno train with the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) Search and Rescue Unit. Their scope of work includes locating victims trapped under rubble, in burning buildings as well as forested areas. They are also qualified Therapy dogs.

Being qualified Therapy dogs, Bear and Bruno often visit old folks’ homes and mental institutes to aid the patients there in their recovery. Therapy dogs have to possess characteristics such as being highly confident and calm. This is due to patients screaming and shouting, even rough-handling the dogs unexpectedly.

During the interview, this UrbanWire reporter was introduced to Bear and Bruno. Both rottweilers mingle easily with adults and children alike. They interact freely with other dogs too, at times taking on the protective brotherly role. So why the bad reputation of rottweilers when there are 2 exemplary specimens right here?

TK explains, “Rottweilers are big, strong intelligent dogs… As they are pretty big, many owners fail to even bring their dogs out for walks, much less allow them to interact with the outside world. Imagine putting your own child at home and protecting him until he is 18, then asking him to get out and fend for himself. He will be scared, skittish, and probably be in a very bad mood. This is exactly how the rottweiler, or any other dog that is penned up all day in the same area with little or no stimulus, would be…”

The fault it seems, lie with the owners. However, by punishing the owners through fines and compulsory policies, rottweilers, indirectly, will be affected too.

TK offers an alternative solution. “The problem is really about educating existing and new dog owners what exactly constitutes to having a dog. The responsibilities and the basic knowledge of dog keeping should be taught to them. The knowledge is readily available, but the main issue is really to just have dog lovers actually agree on a course syllabus.”

Will educating owners help eliminate, if not, reduce the discrimination towards rottweilers? UrbanWire certainly hopes so. The road might be a long and arduous one, but perhaps one day, they will shake off the stigma associated with them, and we will realize the immense potential this breed has to offer.

She smiles provocatively into the camera. The shutter goes off. The pictures get stored in his computer. Fast forward to 3 months later. She spots her nude photos everywhere online, and her whole world comes crashing down.

If “Tammy NYP” popped up in your head right after reading the above paragraph, you must have missed a more recent report that surfaced in The New Paper about Sun Tan. This blogger posted nude pictures of herself online, complete with grin, tattoos and an adoring photographer boyfriend.

Little did she know, after their relationship soured, her ex-boyfriend failed to shut down their private sex blog, (titled Sextisfy) and instead, turned it into a cash cow, charging those who dropped by for a look.

The disgruntled ex also took to sending their photos and sex videos to Gutterpost, a blogger based in New York. Gutterpost streamed the videos, uploaded the pictures, and made many a reader hunting for a scandal very happy indeed.

Does this spell the start of an increasingly exhibitionistic generation? A generation, which thrives on extreme narcissism and cam whoring?

I think so.

If you disagree, look to the Hong Kong entertainment bigwigs Edison Chen/Gillian Chung scandal again. Oh wait, other celebs Cecilia Cheung, Bobo Chan and Vincy Yeung were involved too. Surely you must have seen Vanessa Hudgen’s provocative photographs? Or at least heard of Paris Hilton and Rick Salomon’s 1 Night In Paris?

Advancements in technology and the resultant cheap prices for cameras have made it so much easier to record moments of our life we want to remember and keep close to our hearts. A few years ago, the top-of-the-line Hasselblad camera was a 39 megapixel moster, and video cameras can capture many hours of footage without a single tape. You have to work hard to find a mobile phone that oesn’t come packaged with a digital camera. Want to take a picture with the birthday girl? Whip out your camera. Fancy a shot with a famous celebrity? Start clicking away. Saving that dance performance for later? Push the “record” button.

So why not pictures of your girlfriend in her saucy lingerie? Or a homemade video of your sexual experiments?

Most youths are so determined in their quest to capture their misadventures, they fail to realise the graveness of the situation should the pictures and videos be leaked. By the time they do, their reputations are already spiraling down the drain.

I feel the lack of foresight on their part stems mainly from pure naivety.

“He won’t sell me out by passing around the pictures.”
“It’s only for our private consumption, we’re not intending to show this to anyone.”
“I trust her, it’s safe.”
“Nobody will find out we took these videos. We’ll keep a close eye on them.”

I’m pretty sure these thoughts were running through Gillian Chung’s and Bobo Chan’s minds when they were photographed, but look how they turned out. Your partner might stick to his/her side of the deal, but your computer technician might not. Worse, your partner might abide by the rules initially, but once his ego gets the better of him, he’ll be off forwarding those pictures furiously to his peers.

Very often, the female gets the short end of the stick. As much as we refuse to admit it, and despite all talk about equality of sexes, the stereotypical view on promiscuity among the 2 genders still exist. If you’re male and you thrive on one-night-stands, you almost earn bragging rights. On the other hand, if you’re female and do the same thing, you’re labeled a slut.

When the Edison Chen sex scandal broke out, Gillian Chung got the brunt of the public scrutiny. She lost her reputation and subsequently, her career. Edison however, got away easy. In the recent Sun Tan scandal, netizens made her out to be a brazen female who was asking for it. Her ex-boyfriend though, escaped their harsh criticism.

One moment of foolishness, a lifetime of regret. It might seem like a brilliant idea then, but once you see pictures and videos of yourself splashed across Google, to be found in future by your prospective in-laws, employers and children, shame, not elation, will be the emotion that hits you.

So no, you won’t be seeing any artistic pictures of me on the Net. Besides, I never did like taking pictures. To me, the best camera is my memory.

Angels, ghouls, Darth Vader and vampires dragging along their brides. We’ve seen them all at Halloween parties, and gotten so used to them we’d hardly jump if Frankenstein were to pop up in front of us with a club in hand. Now what would be really scary though, is if you turn up for a Halloween party not as Freddy from A Nightmare on Elm Street, but instead, looking like a million bucks.

The folks at French Connection, who know people who’d rather be dead than caught looking unfashionable, launched the Halloween Fashion Runway show at its Raffles City outlet on Oct 23, with black being the predominant colour, naturally. Comprising of pieces from the Autumn/Winter ‘08 Collection, the runway show was a scream, bringing out models with gory, dark makeup and prosthetic vampire teeth.

Connecting with FCUK

Started in 1972 by Stephen Marks, FCUK set out to conquer the high-street fashion scene, while offering quality and affordable prices. With a slogan like “Fashion Is Our Business”, there is no doubt FCUK takes design and style very seriously, always trying to bring every collection up a notch.

FCUK down the Runway

Titled “Mixing It Up”, the Autumn/Winter Collection ‘08 is true to its name, with a delicious throw-in of both casual and formal wear. This collection sees French Connection sticking to its collaboration with French art director, Fabien Baron, expanding on the themes that were established last season.

With mostly fitting tops, dresses and jeans, the Autumn/Winter Collection ‘08 banked on trends prevalent in the world of fashion, that of bows, high-waisted skirts, and plaids.

Although black dominated, it wasn’t the only colour in all the pieces showcased. There were a large variety of hues, with each containing an underlying hint of black, creating a peek-a-boo effect.

The women’s line consisted of simple pieces jazzed up with details such as bows and pleats. UrbanWire particularly liked the way luxe fabrics such as satin and velvet were incorporated into the outfits, giving them an edgy look due to the metallic sheen. This season’s hottest trend of high-waisted everything manifested itself in the form of skirts and pants.

Show off your penchant for bows, a la English singer/songwriter Lily Allen, by throwing them into your outfits. This UrbanWire reporter spotted at least 4 bows appearing in this collection, on clutches, dresses, halter tops and even on high-waisted skirts.

The men’s line churned out a large variety of looks. Punk-rock, preppy chic, laidback cool and smart businessman. This collection had them all. To create the first look, French Connection threw heavy leather jackets over teeshirts screaming out FCUK messages. Preppy chic was interpreted in the form of pageboy caps, shirts and a tie layered under a cardigan, as well as long scarves, both of which are too warm for our weather.

The best way to create a laidback cool look is to don hats, all kinds of hats. If you know nothing about them, look to rocker Pete Doherty (yes, he used to be with with supermodel Kate Moss) for inspiration. He dons hats, all sorts of them, from top hats to straw ones, with pizazz.

Front-row Session with FCUK

The French Connection runway show also saw Fashion Director of CLEO, Sally Teo making an appearance. She had earlier been featured during the front-row session with La Senza where she dished out advice on lingerie selection to CLEO readers. This time round, she shared with 100 CLEO readers the importance of knowing one’s body proportions and the cutting of clothes. Sally then demonstrated using mannequins how different looks can be created with pieces from French Connection’s Autumn/Winter ‘08 Collection.

FCUK Fashion

The French Connection’s Autumn/Winter ‘08 Collection definitely has pieces worthy of your purchase. So whaddya know, if you’re totally stumped as to what to wear to that Halloween party, you won’t have to look much further for your outfit.

If you can’t join them, scare them. With style, of course.

Homosexuality, Catholicism and forbidden love. These are the themes running through the veins of Brideshead Revisited, a film adapted from the novel of the same name by Evelyn Waugh. Directed by Julian Jarrold of Becoming Jane (2007) fame, the film tells of Charles Ryder’s (played by Matthew Goode) journey as he struggles with the social and religious aspects of the aristocratic age.

Set in the era of gray flannel suits, steam trains and pre-war automobiles, Brideshead Revisited is filled with lush scenery of the English countryside, breathtaking takes of the “City of Water”, Venice, and magnificent shots of the sprawling grounds of Castle Howard, where the bulk of the movie is filmed in.

Plot

Upon entering Lincoln College, Charles finds himself lonely and foreign, till he discovers a friend in Lord Sebastian Flyte (played by Ben Whishaw). Charles is quiet and unassuming, while Sebastian is straightforward and popular, and the 2 friends find themselves being drawn to one another unknowingly.

Curious about Sebastian’s family as he never had one, Charles agrees readily when Sebastian suggests they head over to Brideshead, his family’s luxurious estate. It is here, over much wine where the friendship between Charles and Sebastian blossoms, evolving into a homosexual relationship.

At the same time, Charles delves deeper into the religion of Sebastian’s family-Catholicism-through the strict religious hold that Lady Marchmain (played by Emma Thompson) has over her children.

When Charles, Sebastian and Sebastian’s sister, Julia (played by Hayley Atwell) visit Venice, home to Lord Marchmian (played by Michael Gamban) and his mistress, Charles gets to bond further with Julia, whose mysterious personality pulls him closer to her. She is fond of saying one thing but meaning another, and it’s in understanding this that Charles falls deeper in love.

Charles shares a passionate kiss with Julia one night after a carnival. Little did they know, Sebastian had stumbled upon their little rendezvous. Betrayed and let down, Sebastian distances himself from Charles.

Although the budding relationship between Charles and Julia is visible to all, Lady Marchmain refuses to allow him to marry Julia, citing reasons of religious differences, as Julia is a staunch Catholic, while Charles is an atheist.

Meanwhile, Sebastian turns to alcohol to drown his sorrows and worries, while Julia is married off to a Catholic of similar social status.

The scene then fast forwards 4 years ahead, where we see Sebastian, shaved bald and stripped of his flamboyance, living in a monastery, riddled with health problems. Charles has progressed from an amateur artist to a professional one, his paintings sought by collectors all around the world.

Despite the fact that Charles is married, his heart still pines for Julia. In a stroke of luck one can only describe as fate, Charles sees Julia on a ship he is on, and pursues her relentlessly. The lovebirds recognise that one can’t do without the other and Julia decides to leave her husband.

Julian Jarrold then throws in an unexpected twist at this point in time, brilliantly highlighting the theme of Catholicism in one particular death scene.

Cast

Each character is strong in its entirety, with every member of the cast portraying their roles in its most raw form. This UrbanWire reviewer felt that the 2 notably best performances though, were by Ben Whishaw (who played Sebastian) and Emma Thompson (Lady Marchmain).

Whishaw is resplendent in his role as Sebastian, flamboyant and flashy at one moment, sullen and reproachful at another. He conveys Sebastian’s emotions so convincingly, you can’t help but grin at the times when he is showy, and share his despair at other times. Little wonder then, that Ben Whishaw has won 2 awards, one for “Most Promising Newcomer” at the British Independent Film Awards 2001, and another for “Best Actor” at the Sochi International Film Festival 2001 for his role in the award-winning film My Brother Tom.

The other face to watch belongs to that of Emma Thompson. Veteran Thompson has won 2 Oscars and 2 Golden Globes, not counting other numerous awards, since venturing into acting 25 years ago. In Brideshead Revisited, she made UrbanWire break out in silent applause at the way she portrayed her role perfectly: highly satirical, sarcastic, and very bitter.

Although Brideshead Revisited is essentially a love story, don’t go in expecting the usual as it looks at love on many different levels. Family love, homosexual love, forbidden love, religious love. These are but a few of the kinds of love broached in the film.

Brideshead Revisited is definitely not a forgettable film. The multiple themes and meanings approached by Julian Jarrold in his take on one of the greatest work of fiction ever will leave you pondering even after you step out of the theatre.

It is a pity, however, that Brideshead Revisited watered down much of the theme of Catholicism that was present in the novel, choosing to focus instead on the relationships between each character.

UrbanWire gives Brideshead Revisited 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Movie Details:

Rating: M18 (some mature content)
Runtime: 135 min
Language: English
Director: Julian Jarrold
Cast: Matthew Goode, Ben Whishaw, Hayley Atwell, Emma Thompson, Michael Gambon
Date of Release: Oct 30

(Credits: Movie stills courtesy of Festive Films)

Accessories splayed out on tables. Shoes piled up in a stack. Hangars thrown everywhere. Clothes spilling out of suitcases. You would think this scene was taken from a runaway bride’s room. Well, that’s where you’re wrong. Flea markets look like that too. Especially a flea market of Flea.Fly.Flo.Fun’s aptitude.

The Singapore Conference Hall saw a throng of people on Oct 25. Of course, we’re not saying people don’t usually head there. People do, for orchestra performances. This time round though, the crowd was made out of largely youths who were dressed to the nines. Fashionistas and trend-setters were aplenty.

And they had all one goal: To hunt down the best bargains and buys one can find in Flea.Fly.Flo.Fun.

Although the scene was chaotic, with everyone rummaging through piles and stacks of clothes in search of nifty pieces, this UrbanWire reporter managed to squeeze her way through (as well as squeeze some time out from her intention to shop), and speak to a few people who garnered awesome buys at dirt-cheap prices.

Celeste, 21, (on the right) found herself a great bargain with the purchase of 2 dresses for only 50 bucks. She is long accustomed to the squeeze that happens at every Flea.Fly.Flo.Fun as she pops by in search of apparel every now and then.

For Yean Ni, 25, it’s her first time at Flea.Fly.Flo.Fun and already, the more-than-reasonable prices have impressed her. So much so, she made a purchase of 3 tops; 2 kimono tops, and one knitted tunic.

Ivy Lam, 23, was busy hawking her wares even as she was approached for an interview. She volunteered the fact that more than often, she makes a profit whenever she runs a stall at a Flea.Fly.Flo.Fun event. She had only one word to describe her feelings at the second anniversary of Flea.Fly.Flo.Fun: “Yay!”

And the faces behind Flea.Fly.Flo.Fun: Terence Lau and Christy Chow. You can read more about how they started up Flea.Fly.Flo.Fun in our previous interview with them.

Of course, with the abundance of affordable yet stylish pieces screaming out at this UrbanWire reporter, she had no choice but to give in to temptation and purchase them to add on to her already-bursting wardrobe.

A white dress with lovely stitching details for only $10, and a quirky high-waisted skirt for the same price too! That black bag you see contains another red skirt which was bought at a steal: 5 bucks.

And no, that wide grin you see on this UrbanWire reporter’s face isn’t for show. She really is delirious.

Now whoever said comely buys only come in the form of branded goods?

Great indie-electric music. Cheap, chilled booze. Kick-ass bargains. You’d probably be grinning as widely as a Cheshire Cat if you were offered just 1 of the 3. But all 3? Your brows raise in suspicion, you frown in doubt. You mustn’t have heard of Flea.Fly.Flo.Fun. (Read more)

When we ladies want to make a fashion statement, we usually think “clothes”. Well, how about playing with something that’s closer to our hearts? Yes, lingerie’s what I’m talking about. Now, with La Senza launching a multitude of stylish yet comfortable bras, playing lingerie-dressing up has never been easier. (Read more)