Gail ChaiLocal indie fashion label Bloodbuzz steps out of its comfort zone of monochromes to introduce colour to its Christmas collection. If you’ve not heard of the name, it’s probably because the online clothing line was started just 6 months ago by Kimberly Wong and Darren Tan, both 24.
Following the theme ‘London Calling’, Bloodbuzz held its first trunk show on Dec 3, a sneak preview of its Christmas collection. London’s played a huge part in how Bloodbuzz came about, with designer Kimberly having just graduated from London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London last year. Darren, who is behind the label’s branding and account spent about a year there visiting Kimberly.
The fashion graduate notes of the impact London’s street style and vibrancy had on her, “In London, you can be anyone you want to be and not feel awkward about being different. Everyone there has his or her own style, but yet there’s still a seamless fitting in into society.”
She added that the weekend markets and ghetto areas turn boutique and edgy on the weekends and that’s what the partners are trying to create for their label.
According to Kimberly, the Christmas collection, already their third, is about the celebrative spirit. The 2 red dresses among the other clothing pieces in their collection aim to capture the spirit of celebration and many of the pieces are one-piece flowy dresses that display a fluid movement which resonates well with the ladies because they do not have to worry about the tummy or any love handles showing!
To Bloodbuzz, fluidity represents the hustle and bustle, and the frenetic activities that go on during the Christmas season. At the same time, Bloodbuzz remained consistent when designing its Christmas collection by infusing the brand’s character of being “out of the ordinary and a little dark”, much like the previous 2 collections.
Places travelled to, books read and even movies watched also play a part in the design inspirations for Bloodbuzz. Specific moments in different movies like In The Mood For Love and 2046 may resonate with Kim and Darren sometimes. Darren exclaimed, “It’s just like a eureka moment!”
Their ideas for next year’s Chinese New Year collection are drawn from the costumes used in Wong Kar-wai’s movies about unrequited lovers and a feeling of ambiguity. Kim and Darren found the wardrobe brilliant and were set on adapting what they saw for the modern day, especially since the movie was set in the past.
Bloodbuzz believes in trend seasonal collections, meaning that the pieces will still be wearable even after the festive season passes. Whereas many other labels believe in seasonal clothing meant for their upcoming Chinese New Year collection aims to follow the same idea as well.
You may be reminded of any womenswear collection but what sets Bloodbuzz apart from other local online labels is that it doesn’t produce in mass, with less than 50 of each unique piece, unlike departmental stores that cater to the mass market. The brand aims to be relatively exclusive yet affordable and unique
To the creators, the first aspect of fashion is about creativity and creativity is about having fun. The second aspect is about having a personal expression because they feel that individual style is key – what you wear represents how you feel. Creativity, fun and individuality are key in creating confidence in a woman and the designers want the wearers of their design to feel confident about themselves.
The name ‘Bloodbuzz’ might not click with everyone immediately but the owners believe that everybody can have their own interpretation of the brand name. Kimberly added, “The fact that the name ‘Bloodbuzz’ is so versatile shows that we pay high emphasis on individualism. Every piece of our clothing tells a different story when different people wear it.” The idea for the label’s name came from one of their favourite songs, ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’ by American indie rock band, The National.
The collections by Bloodbuzz seek to create an eclectic juxtaposition of wearable elegance and edge and have definitely achieved this. The 2 hope to expand into a lifestyle label in future but they believe they still have lots to learn.
Bloodbuzz designs can be found at their official site.