Saturday, April 18, 2009

Fashion, a Satellite endeavour?

I love food and I love fashion. Of late, fashion has been offering food for thought. Or was it food, fodder for fashion?

We trump not very few places for the food we have on offer but what about our everyday sense of fashion? Most would lament that Malaysian street fashion has very little to offer, and close to zero chance of ever making it pass great street fashion hounds like Sartorialist or Pike/Pine or Street Peeper. Our friendly neighbours Bangkok and Jakarta make appearances sometimes, even pragmatic Singapore's street fashion gets a bit more attention than we do. I'm always first to join the chorus that we have absolutely no dress sense and take absolutely no pride in the way we choose to present ourselves to the world (I still am guilty of this non-criminal but still heinous crime, injurious to not a whole lot other than my own personal sense of self).

But having spent some time checking my surroundings out, I feel that some attention is warranted. Earlier this year, when Memo (the original After Giovanni founder) returned home for her annual food pilgrimage, we discussed the merit of being better dressed vis-a-vis our gregarious love for food, and two questions linger:
  • Sure we may never get to play around with seasonal layers as seen on the streets elsewhere but certainly there's room for a climate-appropriate fashion uplift in Malaysia?
  • The established street fashion sites mentioned above are great and I continue to visit them religiously but where are the average-looking street people, those who look like they actually consume food? Do they actually exist, or are they always extraordinarily gorgeous and super skinny? Let's face it, without getting into a post-feminist rant, skinny is a dominant fashion prerequisite. Can food and fashion ever cross paths in unison? Could we attempt to handle the bipolarity in a blog?
First the food...

Satellite chicken rice, Jalan Gasing - no introduction necessary. We ventured out of our unfortunate mall work location for lunch one day and the Boss brought us to this old joint, rickety and forlorn, next to the bigger, brighter, busier and spankier famous chicken rice outlet. We like our underdogs and to prove it, we order the works. My pick of breast meat was tender as thigh, the pork balls with coarser texture, but just as delightful.


Now, the fashion...

Once I started looking, I find striking out from the monotone of everyday working life and the business of merely existing, a dash of inspiration here and there in the way the average Malaysian (i.e. not the non-fashion model/celebutante variety) clothe themselves.



To start with, I simply looked around my workplace.
Erna (left) does wraparound art - a skirt featuring the famous Hokusai painting, Behind the Great Wave at Kanagawa from Stanley Market, HK. Eevon (right) rocks Electric blue, Topshop top and Vincci patent flats. And both of them have very healthy appetites!
The most wearable, most ready-to-wear and most pedestrian items can be matched with a personality to add a little pizzazz to our quotidian landscape... really keen to capture more of it, alongside the more popular, super-sensationalized food that this country offers.

11 comments:

Sean said...

i DO need an introduction to satellite chicken rice! i've driven past it many times, but it's one of those places that's eternally stuck on my to-do list. looks terrific.
i'd better not comment on the fashion stuff. i'm as clothes-challenged as a guy can get. my work wardrobe consists entirely of seed shirts bought at 50 percent discounts from isetan klcc.

worldwindows said...

Used to have their wantan noodles at Satellite with their above average char siew and tea/coffee served by an affable Indian chap called Bala!

Rebecca Saw said...

hoho..alws wondered abt the funny name! so they serve gd chic rice yea?
muz chk that out aft my Bkt Gasing hikes..
I put on weight easily too, & got an overly healthy appetite! hence the workouts..exercise does keeps the figure of a manageable size..doesnt hv to be twiggy.

Unknown said...

the foods look nice...

backStreetGluttons said...

High fashion vis a vis power dressing / beauty and style is a luxury in Malaysia, being expensive and time consuming and closely associated with the standard of living...as in exquisite feminine beauty with slim figures in cutting edge outfits , the more expensive the more unusual (imported)the better !

We do not think Malaysia in general has reached that level , while we know some pretty ladies who are much into gastronomic pursuits and are still attractive to many men !

But its a good time to explore how you're gonna become a part of this new beautiful looks but yet can eat more journey and maybe make some $$$ out of it , on top of making some sober looking ladies happy !

Satellite ( secret ) happiness ? Count us in

Bangsar-bAbE said...

I like eating chicken thigh because it's the smoothest part, and has a bit of fat! =)

And I love what Eevon is wearing!

Mellie said...

NO comments on the fashion part. But Yes, I wanted to blog abt this Sattelite chicken place for the longest time.
I decided to give this charming ole place a try, and yes, next to Mr. Gleaming commercialized chicken rice shop next door.
First, the food is good. I wouldn't say fantastic (I'm always a true blue Hainan chicken rice fan, and there's just none here in KL). But what topped the sweet factor was, this Sattelite chicken shop is manned by the owner himself, an ever smiling old man, who looks proud of what's he's doing, seems to be enjoying it. It's not served by grumpy foreigners who can't take orders.
I witnessed ole uncle upon seeing a regular customer, cleverly dishing up that customer's usual, n served him with a cheerful smile.
Now, if that is not enough for you to support this old skool restaurant, I dunno what is.

Big Boys Oven said...

I just love your taste of choice when comes to 1. food 2. fashion hehehehe.....! servives

HairyBerry said...

fashionable food or foodilicous fashion?

as long as they are yummy! ;D ;D

minchow said...

Sean, ooh I was new to Satellite too, but can totally understand its charm! And I think anyone can get away with anything - the idea of fashion is the wearer pulling the clothes off, not the other way around!

Worldwindows, I didn't see Bala! You know what else's really cool about Satellite? The music! Awesome selection of evergreen oldies!

The Nomad Gourmand, good chicken rice, yes, although I went for the hor fun instead. Yes exercise vindicates all that gluttony! :-D

Food Paradise, it was good!

BSG, yes but fashion needn't be expensive! I'm convinced I can find people on the street who just look good in threads they pick up from wherever at whatever price! The two girls did look rather sober, didn't they... must think about how to incorporate more choice beverages into work morale exercises.

Bangsar Babe, you'd probably be one crucial testament that yes you can whack a lot of food and still be hottttt!!

minchow said...

Mellie, ol skool all the way! I much prefer the look of this place than the one next door! And yes the uncle was very cheerful, considering the heat and the pressure from hungry lunchtime crowd.

BBO, you don't like?! Never mind, I aim to keep improving, with the help of the people on the streets!

Nic, I know, at the end of the day, you can't enjoy fashion the way you can food!