First Brian Molko, Then Louis Vuitton

2009.05.22 – 08.09Special Exhibition Gallery (1) (2/F)

Contemporary Hong Kong Art Gallery and Lobby (2/F)

Special Exhibition Gallery (2) (3/F)

Building Facade, Hong Kong Museum of Art

http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/ce/Museum/Arts/english/exhibitions/exhibitions01_apr09_01.html

Nondescript is not an adjective you would use when it comes to describing the style of the Peranakans of the 19th century and 20th century. Not after you have viewed Baba Bling at the Peranakan Museum.

I personally would use “Ornamented” but whatever your choice of lexica, it is safe to say that the Peranakans, especially the Bibiks and Nonyas then invested tremendous effort to look impeccable and put together. From their customary kerosang to storage solutions of chests and drawers to mourning fashion, it was all about opulence and details.

The Peranakan women were severely disciplined dress-wise; their hair were always combed back in a bun, their baju panjang held together by the omnipresent trio of brooches, and the choice of earrings always worn to represent youth and marital status (dangling for the girls, studs for the older, married women).

There was no doubt they fulfilled a regime of style expected of their culture, but the women had fun. Well, not just fun. They had a ball of a time injecting quirks, personalities and motifs into designing their accessories- all handmade by a gold craftsman in their homes, no less.

The Peranakans favoured their gold and suasa, specifically nine carat gold. They were made into kerosang, usually in filigree flora patterns and studded with diamonds. Besides sustaining the function of securing the baju panjang, they also wore it as a badge of ostentation. The larger, the fancier, the shinier it was- all the better. In the event of death, even their flair was evident. The gold and diamonds were replaced by brooches created out of silver and mother-of-pearl.

Besides the kerosang, another accessory that Peranakan women were particular about was rings, wearing up to six at once. The architecture of rings ranged from the usual rosettes to whimsical shapes of food like the buah kana (Chinese olives). They were also innovative enough to have them fashioned into such a manner that the rings later could be unscrewed and attached to be worn as earrings.

Their style extended to their storage of accessories and valuables. Despite being called “tu bunga” (flower cupboards), such hand carved drawers and chests were engraved with butterfly and phoenix motifs. They were used to ensconce hairpins, combs and bangles.

This showcase of their jewelry may simply be another fraction of their lifestyle then- almost as ordinary as their traditional food or language, but the grandiose by today’s standard makes it beyond fascinating. The Bibiks probably didn’t know it, but their style has evolved them educational emissaries of today.

Polaroids of Nad and I

And speaking of Baba Bling, don't forget the family, never forget the family especially the Matriach.

The future’s too bright. Gotta wear shades

What happens exactly when a performance is fashioned out of acrobatics, live music with the energy of a full fledged orchestra, and fireworks of extreme dramatic bravura?

You will witness the Campus Green in Singapore Management University teemed with a sea of people, from families to photography aficionados and teenagers preferring to paint the town red on a Friday night, in a number you find hard to believe.

And… you will also be blown away.

PAN.OPTIKUM, the bellwether of outdoor musical theatre productions from Berlin, Germany, engaged in their highly specialized craft in an act called The Loop of Life, from the Campus Green and the Li Ka Shing Library. With the National Museum as the backdrop, the multidisciplinary performance culminated in the splendor of fireworks so bright, it could have been daylight.

I overheard an auntie behind me asking her husband in awe and disbelief, “How they do the fireworks until like that?” to which he quirkily replied, “I don’t know. You ask the boss, and then let me know.”

I would have giggled if the missus did not express her annoyance with me earlier for blocking her view of the speeding pyrotechnics.

After PAN.OPTIKUM concluded their act around 11pm, the crowd migrated to Campus Green for Bersama Hijau, aptly named since hijau means green in Malay.

Marrying the traditional Malay hand held drum, the kompang, and the electrifying sounds of local band Amateur was a refreshing take on fusion music. Their gamut of musical potential was hilariously showcased when they sang a verse of Justin Timberlake’s Sexy Back a la dikir barat style.

Veteran musicians, Tiramisu, besides presenting their own panache of rock, also exhibited their eclectic choice of costumes. I like music, and I love it more when musicians incorporate their personalities and stage philosophy in their outfits. Tiramisu did just that, with wigs, ge-tai worthy glitter coats, and jumpsuits. Their drummer anchored the look with white sunglasses. I like to think the optical accesory sums up Tiramisu's presence as this; future's too bright. Gotta wear shades.