Black Bettie

Hi

I am writing a travel article on the best, on-the-pulse concierges around the globe and their innercity secret addresses. These are the people who know the clubs and bars of the moment, where to pick up the fashion must-haves that sum up the city's cutting edge style, the best hair colourist, flea market hitlists and unusual bespoke city tours.

Who have been your it-list saviours at hotels around the globes? I would love to interview the world's concierge experts whether they be in Paris, Shanghai, LA, Berlin, Marrakech or Buenos Aires.

Many thanks in advance for any recommendations you might have.

Where is the best place in Singapore to buy cult international jeans for women?

Club 21, Blackjack??

Thanks.

Wow - I can't believe this thread is still getting posts. We've got a bit of a prata circle together now and I will definitely let you know when I'm next in town.

Back on a final fashion tip - where is the best place in Singapore to buy cult international jeans for women?

Thanks again.

Hi Chase and Cocaine

Great to read your viewpoints - who'd have thought a discussion board for global shopping gurus (taking a guilty(?) break from daily grind) would explore a thread on the challenges faced by Singaporean creatives??

Thanks for your recommendations, website links etc. Lots to look into!

I just got a copy of Makansutra in the post - a totally encyclopaedic homage to Singapore food - and didn't get to sleep until three am as my pupils went bug-eyed at all the photos. So maybe it would be an idea to have a beer, if not some teh tarik and roti prata, with some Supertalk users next time I'm in town.

PS. It's really hard to get good Singaporean and Malaysian food in Sydney - I particularly miss roti jala. I know it's more a dish people would cook at home but if any people on this thread know a good stall or restaurant to eat it at in Singapore, can you PLEASE let me know?

Can anyone recommend some psychobilly or rockabilly slanted fashion boutiques and cult/pulp book or music stores in Tokyo? Art book stores with a nod to fifties related titles would be great.

Hi Kiteless and Obsession

Kiteless, I hear what you're saying. Singaporeans are particularly voracious media consumers and unfortunately, with the US and European media imperialist prerogatives, the self-identity ramifications of a 15-year-old Chinese, Malay or Indian Singaporean girl faced with a constant barrage of Guess ads or pap shots of Paris Hilton can be worringly warped to say the least. The navigation of a 'true' culture is always fraught too with complexities in post-colonial societies, particularly if there was a focus on economic growth and stability when independence was first reached, as opposed to the arts. But these things take time and there is a lot of talent in Singapore.

I would particularly like to add film maker Royston Tan to Obsession's list of interest. His searing '15' is nothing short of a revolution in Singapore cinema. Gregg Araki would be proud of the nods to his oeuvre too!

Obsession, to add to my Singapore travel notes, can you tell me which of the fashion labels you mention would be good for fashion forward women 20-30? Also what do you think of these stores/labels? Worth checking out?

Felt

Baylene

Hansel

Tsyke

Sunny Ang

Lover...sigh...sigh...gulp

floaty

feminine

gothic yum

Dave Russ - I guess I wasn't specific enough with musical genres etc. It would be cool to cover a range of interesting places, but I am predisposed to chilled out dj bars or live music where I can hear my companions speak - whether it's jazz, hip-hop, eletronica, latin, reggae, indie... But I am still interested if there are now any new club contenders for Zouk.

Singapore is a really multicultural city and I've lived as an expat myself (now Sydney based) so I don't have a preference for truly local drinking spots or expat haunts. I thinking mixing it up is usually more interesting.

Thanks.

Thanks for your tips - great to hear there's a busier live music scene in Singapore now, especially on weeknights - always my preferred going out window.

Yeah, KM8 sounds a little far flung - I am a bit lazy, even with Singapore's taxis some of the cheapest in the world. And - I hate poseurs.

Zouk, I know, I know, but it's been going for years and I hoped for some new names. Also, I'm getting older!

Do you know any European or International second-hand designer boutiques who regularly unearth Alaia pieces? If the store has web presence so much the better.

On a recent few weeks off taking care of a sick relative I spent a good deal of time on Google trying to track down some vintage Alaia. There was one woman who seemed to be unloading her whole collection but she had pretty conservative pieces and was too petite.

For someone who covets black dresses so much it's a pity I don't have an Azzedine one in my collection.

Can I make my dream a reality without breaking my bank balance?

Protest the dying art of handwritten communiqués and tell me your favourite places to pick up unique greeting cards or postcards around the globe.

Photographic, fashion illustration, graphic design, handmade...I'm a sucker for a great card.

I also have two dear aesthete friends who are the hardest people in the world to buy interesting cards for and I want to stump them with some special gems.

I haven't been through Singapore for over a year so I'm out of touch with the bar and club scene there. Any recommendations for a cocktail savvy fashion junkie who hates queues, guestlists and powermad bouncers?

What are your thoughts on the following:

Wala Wala (Holland Village)

Harry's Bar (Boat Quay)

Balaclava (Suntec City)

any places in Emerald Hill

KM8 beach club (Sentosa)