Fashion knows no boundaries. And a mother-daughter duo seems to have taken this by heart. Known in Singapore for spearheading online label, Inner Desires that retails luxury swimsuits, sleepwear, and lingerie, Ms. Christina Ho and daughter Ms. Lo have created a Swarovski- studded swimwear– superstar. The phenomenal piece that makes its debut at next weekend’s FTV Beach party was a week’s worth of designing only to be nothing less than a whopping $6,000 worth in billings. For those left agog by the numbers (all mere mortals traipsing the planet, that is, and perhaps a few wise apes too), the swimsuit boasts of exquisite Swarovski crystals that were laboriously hand-sewed on to it. The stones’ design was based on Singapore’s tropical flora and fauna and will be a part of a showcase of high fashion swimwear that has already made waves in Dubai and Monte Carlo.
Ms. Loh designs most of Inner Desire’s pieces, but she admits that she had a steep learning curve when she first started out. “I had to learn everything on the go,”, reminisces she. Although Ms. Loh and Ms. Ho’s latest embellished offering is based on an existing swimsuit, it was still stressful for the pair. In lieu of the FTV Festival, the mother-daughter worked round-the-clock, and the subsequent spectacle will be for all to feast their eyes on (and for one to get her hands on) at the Tanjong Beach Club. Like all their pieces that use Swarovski crystals, this piece is a one-off piece available for retail.
“We’re confident that the crystals will stay on if you want to go for a swim in it, but we won’t recommend it,” said 27-year-old Esther Loh. So much for whetting your inner mermaid but not wetting your swimsuit.
You can make do with the crystal- studded bikini from Selfridges if bling is your thing, but you’d rather lose a few crystals than a few thousand dollars.
