Hi ladies! It is the time of the year where everyone is frantically looking for that perfect outfit for their #CNYOOTD. The festive season is the perfect chance to showcase our finest apparels and dress up for the spring celebrations, and it almost becomes a competition to see who has the most stylish look. When it comes to standing out from the crowd, we can't help but think about our very own in-house prints that are part of our #TCLCNY2020 collections.
A classy representation of colours and one that has been inspired by a positive message - our in-house Daniella print. This print that represents the positive vibes that a new day can bring about is available in gorgeous shades of dusk and dawn! (P.S. We are having backorders for the popular Daniella Midi Skirt in both shades so don't miss out again!)
Of course, if you have been with us long enough, you definitely would be most excited for our exclusive collaboration with Pearlyn & Paper! This year marks the third year we are working with Pearlyn and we are so excited to share more about our collaboration!
For those who have just joined the TCL family, Pearlyn is a jeweller designer and diamond grader by training, known for her mastery in watercolour skills! Since 2018, we have worked with Pearlyn for our CNY launches to incorporate her hand-drawn watercolour paintings into some of our apparels. These designs have always been adored by you ladies which is why we decided to carry on with the tradition this year!
This time around, pieces from our collaboration with Pearlyn & Paper are featured in our Oriental Blooms collection. As the name of the collection suggests, our exclusive TCL x Pearlyn & Paper print this year features traces of oriental vibes set on the backdrop of feminine designs. Of course, you would definitely need to read on for the interview with the talented lady herself to better understand the story behind her collection this year.
Pearlyn: 2019 has flown by incredibly fast thanks to my kids! It has been a year filled with travels, but also a period of uncertainty and possibilities for my family.
2. This is our 3rd year running working together - how would you describe the dynamics of our collaborations thus far?
Pearlyn: Feels like it was just yesterday! I'm always challenging myself to do things differently and change things up every year. This year has been no exception. However, exploring new styles is always nerve wracking. While doing so, I have found that discussing them with Brianna and Bertilla is actually really eye-opening. These discussions helped so much in narrowing down the style, feel and vibe of our design, as well as the choice of colours.
3. We noticed the illustration that you have curated under this collaboration is really different from the past collaborations! Share with us your inspirations behind this year's illustration and perhaps, we could take a look at your mood board too?
Pearlyn: I felt inspired to create a series of landscape prints this year, where I brought in oriental inspirations which resulted in a more chinoiserie design.
4. Share with us your design process! How long did you take to perfect this illustration?
Pearlyn: The girls gave me full reign to the design brief as usual, and I first had an idea of wallpaper prints and upholstered fabric on bodies. During that time, I started looking at pictures and vintage wallpapers. I was intrigued by chinoiserie patterns and prints, loved how the Europeans interpreted Asian decorative arts and how it's still very much modernised in today's time - as seen on upholstered refurbished chairs to chinaware today. I started sketching and as you can tell the colours are driven by chinaware as well.
Pearlyn: That was when I fell in love with landscape designs on chinaware and wanted to create landscapes into patterns. Getting the style right for landscapes was a process, and also choosing the colours (especially on clothes) wasn't something I was familiar with. With lots of discussion and trial and errors, we finally narrowed down to colours and to a style we thought was suitable!
5. You have seen the designs which went into production for your illustration! Share with us your favourite item?
Pearlyn: I’ve been incredibly nervous because it’s so different from what I’ve done in previous years! So far my favourite design would be the Akeno Wrap Dress!
6. New year, new goals and aspirations - what are some of your 2020 goals that you can share with our readers?
Pearlyn: My goal for 2020 is to cook more for my family. I'm targeting to do it at least 6 days a week! I have never been much of a cook or even liked cooking. So I'm taking this as a challenge and grow outside of my comfort zone.
Pearlyn: It will still be late winter where I am. And there’s nothing like a good old hot pot for CNY in that cold weather!
8. Anything else you would like to say to our readers?
Pearlyn: I would like to wish everyone a year of meaningful friendships and relationships! Take time to slow down and ground yourself on what you find most valuable to your life.
Now that we have a better understanding of the inspirations behind our exclusive Akeno print, here are some sneak peeks of the pieces featuring this classy oriental design! Our Akeno print also comes in two decadent hues - the classic cream and a sweet shade of peach pink.
Akeno Wrap Top
Akeno Wrap Sleeved Dress
Akeno Pleated Dress
Surprise, surprise! We have yet another sleeved dress design for our Akeno print and this time, it comes with unique pleated details. Our Akeno Pleated Dress is another look that will let you stand out from the crowd as the pleated details on it are definitely one of a kind!
Akeno Square Neck Dress
Akeno Toga Dress
Still can't get enough of our exclusive TCL x Pearlyn & Paper print? Check out our Oriental Blooms lookbook here for more first-hand previews and stay tuned to our online launch at 8.30pm on Wednesday (25 Dec)! Comment below to let us know which Akeno design is your favourite!