Model: Che Shijia
Wardrobe: Ohvola
Styling: Joey Goh
Photography: Mirabelle Koh

A recent shoot done for Ohvola, featuring their Urban Belle, Dulcet Charms and Modern Made collection. You can check our their new arrivals on the website, or their previews on their Facebook.

This was done a few months back, and I'm actually pretty impressed by how our shoot location and backgrounds turned out so aesthetically pleasing. Especially with the colour palette of the apparels this time round, I think everything complimented pretty well!


It's been two years since I first started working with the Ohvola team, and it's through my colleagues that I got to know more about SMEs and the local marketing scene. Honestly, I don't think I would even consider venturing into studying Fashion Communication if it were not for my head start at this company.

School officially starts on end of July. Not sure what I feel about going back to school after working for a year hmm... Think I gotta start gearing myself up for all the orientations and socialising events to come... Omg. But okay I'm not complaining, just gotta do what I gotta do.
Super glad to know that Trisha and Jolaine also got into the same school! Although they both got into a different course from mine, I guess there's some comfort in knowing that there are at least familiar faces in the same building haha.

On another note, Han and I have been working on some desserts for the upcoming 21st and I can't wait to share the photos and styling!! I'm almost done with the editing so I'll get it up in a few days. Till then x.

A couple of photos of my friends from a few weekends ago at I Light!

It was super crowded and warm... I didn't even know why I decided to go there to squeeze with everyone (oh right I wanted to take photos) but we went on a Thursday so the crowd wasn't too bad. Feel like giving Artbox a go, but I'm not too enthusiastic about the weekend crowd... Have I really become so old now that I'm avoiding places with high human traffic on my off days?? I just love to stay at home to chill now, which is a stark contrast to how I used to live for the weekend shenanigans and events.

On another note, I've been taking my camera out and working on visuals lately. I'll update this space with more of these works soon!

Meanwhile, I'm super stoked about all the upcoming projects I've yet to embark on, as well as the planing of my 21st!! Hehe so many things to look forward to.





Shall end off with the pictures taken on Vic's 21st!

Sometimes, I look back at the old me and find myself so laughable. I was always wearing my heart on my sleeve, and while I didn't have a negative outlook towards my life, I was often wallowing in self pity, wondering why I was feeling the way I did without physically trying to fix it. When things don't work out the way I want them to, I never stopped to question if it was my way of doing - I just needed to find something or someone to blame.

Maybe some traits haven't exactly gone, I can get quite defensive sometimes. But in these two years, I've seen myself change more than I thought was possible. I'm not sure if it's because travelling helped me to be more in tune with myself, or if it's because I've hit rock bottom a few times back then and had no way to go but up.

Am I ashamed of my past? Maybe, sometimes. Do I regret some of the mistakes I made? Yeah, sadly I do. I would like to stop myself from committing some mistakes and take back some of the words I've said that still leave a bitter aftertaste on my tongue.

But most of all, I wish I had laughed and focused on myself more.

In the times when life was fine, not particularly interesting and a little boring, I could have appreciated those moments more. Now that I look back on those days, what I had wasn't so bad. Why was I always unhealthily harping on the things that I did not have? Why didn't I see what's before me? It's only after I hit rock bottom did my view of the world change, and I focused on what's left that mattered most to me.

It's easy to lose sight of the things you have when they are always within your reach. But when you remind yourself about the times you've lost, the battles you've fought and the things you've gained from then on, I think it serves as a great reminder to always be appreciative, and a great encouragement to know that bad times don't last. You haven't lost your passion, you still have choices, and you have or may meet people that love you. I made mistakes and have regrets, that's okay. In retrospect, those life lessons sorted me out.

What you don't have isn't the reason why you're miserable. It's your choice to see if the glass is half empty or half full.

That doesn't make it so difficult to be happy with the life you have and yourself, does it?

Another travel video that I got up on my channel! This one covering the Great Ocean Road Trip with Han in December 2016. :)

Do give it a like and share! Or subscribe if you'd like to see more travel content in the future hehe.

These couple of weeks have been pretty busy. Just went to I Light on Thursday with the childhood pals, and I was experimenting a couple of night light photos. I'm almost done with the editing so I'll probably update this space with those visuals soon.

Meanwhile, I've been planning my 21st and I'm spending so much money on decor... Omg. But it's okay I think I can actually organise everything under $500? Can't wait to blog about the preparations and the set up that I'll be working on!!

Also, more helpful travel articles on Japan will be coming your way. Stay tuned onto TripZilla for updates!

Check out my other posts on Melbourne:

▶ 7 Things you need to know if you're planning a Melbourne Roadtrip
▶ Melbourne Roadtrip (part 1) - Melbourne City
▶ Melbourne Roadtrip (part 2) - Great Ocean Road
▶ Melbourne Roadtrip (part 3) - Yaara & Healesville Sanctuary
▶ 5 Cafes in Melbourne to feed your camera and tastebuds
▶ Melbourne Roadtrip - Great Ocean Road (Video)

My 2016 resolution was:

1)  concentrate on my portfolio
2) step out of my comfort zone as much as I have to
3) set myself to travel more that year

After graduating from poly in May, I decided to take a gap year from my studies to do all of that. The fact that I still didn't know what I wanted to study, or if I was going to do so at all, also played a part in my decision making.


Since then, at 20, I began working in all sorts of fields in pursuits to explore my own creativity and style. I was lucky I got the opportunity to do all of the things I was passionate about, and I think I've improved heaps while working under the wings of others.

As 2017 came around, I was honestly really pleased, because I did achieve the things I resolved myself to do. I travelled (laos, bangkok, perth, japan, melbourne), stepped out of my comfort bubble to pursue the professions I wasn't exactly familiar with and was intimidated by, and built this portfolio that I set myself out to do.

2016 was a time of change, and while they weren't the most comfortable phases, they certainly helped me to grow and learn, even if I stumbled along the way. From taking up photoshoots to doing lookbook fashion videos to packaging design and writing travel stories for many to see, whew. I'm glad all the anxiety and hours paid off.

"If you're not outside your comfort zone, you won't learn anything."



Read my travel articles here.

Now's the time for me to decide what to do now that my gap year is ending. Do I go back to studying? Or do I just keep working? Many factors come into play and I still can't decide, but I applied for Lasalle (they had a course that piqued my interest) and decided to see how it would go.

I spent most of my January compiling the works that I've done through my gap year. It was weeks spent on designing the pages and freaking out over imperfections before I finally sent it for printing. It felt like my mass comm days.

I then painstakingly bound my own book, because I wasn't willing to pay $80 just for someone to help me glue pieces of paper together. Anyway, it's a creative journal that I'm proud of. I couldn't have done it if I had not taken the gap year to work and travel, so I guess I deserve to give myself a pat on the back for going through with the decisions I've made for myself.




After the application and interview, it took them about two weeks for Lasalle to get back to me and I got accepted! Yay!

Even though I should probably just take up the offer since the honours is only three years and I already got a placing (after nerve-wrecking processes... I'm hesitating. Could I achieve more in these three years outside than if I were in school? Do I have to conform to Singapore's societal pressure that paper qualifications define almost everything? Are these certs even important in the creative fields I'm pursuing?

I don't know.

Well, if it's any comfort for me, I did achieve what I set out to do. No regrets for taking a one year break. And it seems like Lasalle is different from most unis, since their projects are often based on real clientele. That's not too bad. May I be enlightened about what to do with my life now that I'm in this early life crisis.


So that's that. I've been busy the past two weeks doing a lot of shoots, which exhausts me so much I crash by the time it's 11pm lol. But anyhow, I'm almost done with my Melbourne road trip video. Editing it has been such an eye opener as I explored so many components of video editing, and it was nice reliving back the times with Han hehe. Hopefully we get to go on another travel venture soon!

Meanwhile, stay tuned to the road trip video coming your way Friday 9pm!!