Mandarin Gallery Blog

The only global industry magazine to focus on denim and sportswear, Sportswear International is arguably one of the most authoritative publications on casual and street fashion. This explains why we are extremely pleased to announce that three of Mandarin Gallery’s brands are winners of the prestigious Sports International Fashion Awards! Celebrating the best collections of the year, winners are picked by both readers and an independent jury. Beating intense competition from premium brands including Diesel Black Gold, G Star and Fred Perry, Adidas SLVR, Nudie Jeans and Vans came up top.

Best Sport/Street: Adidas SLVR
Adidas’ sleek, urbane and smart fashion line has been going from strength to strength with each new collection. Founded on the principle of melding beauty with utility, Adidas SLVR constantly strives to push the boundaries of sportswear inspired clothing. Featuring refined, modern silhouettes, tasteful colour palettes and clever details, each piece is an investment that you can wear season after season (and probably in more ways than one).

Adidas SLVR is available at Adidas, #03-13, Mandarin Gallery

Best Denim: Nudie Jeans
Possibly the very best jeans money can buy, Nudie takes denim very seriously indeed. Proclaiming to offer not just jeans, but “a way of thinking, a concept and an undying passion”, this is definitely not your regular denim label. Working towards the goal of using organic cotton exclusive in the long run, the Swedish brand has gained recognition for their eco-friendly ways. The best raw materials and a slow production process ensure that every pair of Nudie jeans is a masterpiece.

Find a good selection of Nudie Jeans at The Denim Store, #03-09-11, Mandarin Gallery

Best Sneakers: Vans
Born in 1966, this iconic Californian sneaker brand continues to reflect the optimistic spirit of its founding decade. First popularized by skateboarders and BMX riders, Vans’ clean-cut designs soon found their way onto the feet of other sportsmen, including basketball players and even skydivers. Today, Vans is best known for its wide range of styles and colours and counts legions of hip, fashion-conscious individuals as fans of the comfortable soles and classic good looks of its sneakers.

Pick up your pair of Vans at in:Famous, #03-21, Mandarin Gallery

Contrary to popular belief, men are not necessarily averse to shopping – in fact, many of them like to indulge in retail therapy as much as the average women. At Mandarin Gallery, we do not play favourites with the genders and there are fabulous buys for the boys as well. We scoured the shops for the hottest boys’ toys and this trio of new arrivals at BAPE, The Denim Store and Ambush came out tops!

Uniform Experiment (Ambush)
Started in 2008, the Uniform Experiment is an experimental project for men’s clothing and accessories. Treading the line between novelty an universality, the label strives to provide an alternative to conventional menswear by contradicting the existing rules. The results are often refreshingly original.

Top Pick: Uniform Experiment X LASONIC iPod Boombox, SGD1440

Uniform Experiment is available at Ambush, #03-14, Mandarin Gallery

Sanders (The Denim Store)
Hailing from the United Kingdom, Sanders is an established shoemaker that has been producing quality men’s footwear since 1873. Crafted from the very best English hides and local oak-bark soles, Sanders’ shoes are designed to be refined, sturdy and fit for the gentleman.

Top Pick: Suede desert boots, SGD319

Sanders can be found at The Denim Store, #03-09-11, Mandarin Gallery

BAPE
The ultimate vanguard of street cool, BAPE constantly churns out the kinds of things that induce a near-slavish cult following. From neon sneakers to Baby Milo t-shirts, the brand has the remarkable ability to turn its products into highly covetable collectors’ items. It single-handedly proves, with its legions of older fans, that being hip is not just for the young.

Top Pick: Camouflage backpack, SGD469

Bape is located at #02-02/03, Mandarin Gallery

The future is bright, so invest in some good sunglasses. Contrary to popular belief, a good pair of shades that will adequately protect your eyes from harmful ultra-violet rays need not cost you a limb. Granted, designer eyewear can go for up to SGD1000 in some cases, but if you will just keep an eye out for a good bargain, there are definitely more attractively priced options out there. Even as they are kinder to your wallet, you need not have to worry about having to compromise on style. Catering to the young and painfully hip, there is no doubt that cult Swedish denim brand Cheap Monday, acetate sunglasses trend-setter SUPER by RETROFUTURE and Robert Geller (for the modern gentleman) will up your chic quotient effortlessly.

Cheap Monday
Having made its name with well-made skinny jeans that are surprisingly affordable, Cheap Monday turned their talent towards designing sunglasses that are based on the same ‘cheap and good’ brand philosophy. Other than giving small modernising touches to retro-inspired, timeless silhouettes, the Cheap Monday eyewear collection also consists of bold, futuristic models like the Terminator-worthy Precognition Silver. At just SGD59 a pop, it seems almost silly not to grab a pair (or three, just for variety) of these instant classics.

Cheap Monday Eyewear is available at The Denim Store, #03-09-11, Mandarin Gallery

SUPER by RETROFUTURE
The first brand to produce a complete range of colourful, high-quality fashion sunglasses, SUPER has certainly contributed much to the phenomenon of acetate sunnies. If there is anything to be said about these bright, candy-like eyewear, it is that they are unfailingly fun. At the same time, by adopting ZEISS lenses, they also provide you with an extremely high level of eye protection. With a veritable army of celebrity fans, such as Kanye West, The Kills and Jessica Alba just to name a few, it seems clear from the start that it will be quite impossible to stop at one with these.

SUPER by RETROFUTURE sunglasses are priced from SGD199 at The Denim Store, #03-09-11, Mandarin Gallery

Robert Geller
If exuberant youth underscored the aforementioned eyewear brands, Robert Geller takes you down a quieter, more grown-up but no less stylish path. Discreetly good-looking with not a trace of trendiness, these are sunglasses for Wayfarers-lovers and traditionalists who know what works for them and stick with it. Sounds like you belong with this group of discerning shades-wearers? Chances are a pair of Robert Geller will be your kind of sunglasses poison.

Pick up your Robert Geller classic eyewear (prices from SGD280) at Ambush, #03-14, Mandarin Gallery

They may follow a fashion calendar that is reversed from the one that we use, but the fashion scene in Australia is every bit as vibrant and exciting as those in the Northern Hemisphere. Known for their distinct brand of laid-back style, Aussie designer fashion has also come of age over the past couple of decades. In addition to the sporty beachwear that the country is famous for, top-notch labels from Down Under have also been pulling their weight on the international stage. While most of them continue to stay true to the street wear tradition, many of the collections also look decidedly more polished and elegant. Here are three antipodean labels that mean serious business with their cool and edgy threads.

Lover
Log on to the Lover website and you will be greeted with a lovely short film featuring a graceful ballerina. Inspired by the beauty of ballet, the lable’s S/S2011 collection, A Dance For One, draws on both the artistic and athletic elements of dance. Mixing delicate lace with raw hemmed grey sweatshirts, utilitarian jumpers and shirtdresses, the looks come off simultaneously as strong and ethereal. The well-constructed outerwear pieces (e.g. vests, sleeveless jackets, cropped blazers) are also a delight. Lover has definitely come far from its humble beginnings as a weekend market stall.

Ksubi
Ksubi is one of those cult Australian brands that needs little introduction. Having made its mark as one of the leading trend-makers in the niche of designer denim, the brand has then successfully branched out to include a line of impossibly cool street wear in their repertoire. The label’s latest collection, Beware, Wear, is a challenge to the current perception of popular culture. Through the use of print and fabrics, the clothes serves as camouflage for its wearer against the prevalent urban decay. Expect a somber palette of ash and slate, which is then complimented by deep plum and fresh neutrals.

Something Else By Natalie Wood
The name of the label may sound a little forlorn, but the collections themselves are anything but. Helmed by designer/artist Natalie Wood, Something Else is the result of collaborative efforts between highly respected artists from various creative disciplines. Melding high fashion with an indelible street edge, the looks from the latest Middle Of Nowhere collection are pleasingly feminine with beautiful prints and flattering cuts. However, you will never mistake the Something Else girl as ‘just another pretty girl’.

Lover and Ksubi are available at Inhabit – The Other Store (#02-16), while Something Else can be found at The Denim Store (#02-09-11), Mandarin Gallery. Enjoy 10%-50% off storewide at Inhabit and exclusive promotions at The Denim Store during the Great Singapore Sale