The List: March
March always pops up like a surprise. When you work in the fashion industry, the first quarter of the year is the busiest. In a blink March announces its arrival and everything is suddenly in bloom.
The camellias and magnolias are now out, bringing colour to our streets. Where I live, there are several roads and parks known for their blossoms so I’ll be on blossom watch. I love the ephemeral nature of these flowers. Blink and you’ll miss them but look down and there’s nature’s confetti carpeting the pavements— a reminder that there are always small things to celebrate every day.
Sight
I feel very privileged to have been able to get up close to Matiéres Fécales’ AW26 collection at Dover Street Market’s showroom this season. The construction of the jackets and coats and the other worldly nature of the shocking pink dresses; the texture on the steel feather dress and the super shiny silver paillette dress—this is a collection that celebrates tailoring and textures and volume. Each piece is a fantasy waiting to be lived out and it reminds me why I love fashion.
Sound
Nothing beats the sound of good news. My friends will be aware that HusbandMan is still getting treatment after an emergency surgery that led to further complications and a 6-week stay in hospital last year. Although he’s still some way to go, we had some positive news recently and can visualise the path to a full recovery. We play back the consultation over and over again (the consultant said, “It’s all positive”). A mantra I said to myself, now slowly unfolding into a reality.
Smell
I posted about Petite Ile Boulangerie and got a tip about Moon Croissant. It was an easy one to try next as the bakery was right in between my walk from the hotel to the showroom. Paris in early March had the promise of spring but the chill of winter was lingering. Entering this sunlit bakery and being greeted by the rich smell of butter, knowing a tasty breakfast awaits you is quite the treat.
Taste
I had my first Vietnamese coffee with salted cream in Hanoi last year and it has since been my favourite variation of Vietnamese coffee. I tried coconut (a close contender), and I tried egg (delicious in small doses but it’s very rich) but it’s the version with salted cream that I just could not get enough of. Little Bánh Bánh is right by work and I was very happy to spot this on their menu. Imagine the bitterness of coffee, softened by the richness of cream with enhanced flavour. For someone who usually drinks black coffee, this is dessert through a straw.
Touch
I am beyond honoured to have my writing featured in the first ESEA anthology amongst writers like Anna Sulan Masing and Suyin Haynes. This 236-page tome is a collection of essays, stories, interview and more examining the history and future of the community and celebrating the talent and depth of our voices. The first run has already sold out but you can buy the second print here.
I wrote about the Japanese Occupation of Malaya and how wartime scarcity permanently changed the way we eat through the creativity and resilience of the home cooks. It has been eighty years since the invasion and many are unaware of this time in history. I wanted this to be a reminder that these recipes are a product of quiet protest, a determination not only to beat hunger but to continue eating well through a time of rationing.
Anyone who cooks is never alone. Our kitchens are filled with generations of cooks before us and the recipes we cook from have made their routes to us. The recipes below have kept our people fed. These recipes are rooted in versatility, creativity and resilience that is a characteristic of our people.
It has been awhile since I last held a piece of publication that was mine and it felt good to see my writing in print, accompanied by the charming illustrations of Lisa Ha.
Matières Fécales AW26 WOW 🤩
That was my favourite sound this month too.