We reluctantly bid +J goodbye last season, and now we’re opening our arms wide for another amazing collaboration with the Japanese retail bigwig. Say hello to Jun Takahashi’s Undercover label, no doubt one of the head honchos on the streetwear scene, as they will soon be presenting their new collab with Uniqlo. Touted to be one for the family, this spanking new collection will have everything, from homewear to togs for the little ones so that y’all can all head out in style.

The Undercover x Uniqlo collection will debut in stores in March. Keep your eyes peeled for the February issue of JUICE where we have an exclusive interview with Jun Takahashi himself!

As if these socks could get any happier, here’s Terry Richardson to widen that grin on our faces (if only to match the one on his). The lensman is helming the Swedish label’s latest campaign for its Chapter #FOUR collection, which sees personalities like Sky Ferreira and Action Bronson donning those socks in a variety of creative ways. Happy Socks as a bikini top, a hair bow and a bow tie? Cute and clever!

Happy Socks are available at ACTUALLY…, 29A Seah Street.

FrüFrü & Tigerlily remain one of our most prized local labels for its cutting edge creations that stay well and true to all things rock ‘n’ roll. Its teen spirit now spreads into the label’s accessories debut, Serpentskirt – a range of five bags crafted from python, lambskin and suede, bedecked with tassels, and with a colour palette that stays loyally black (though there’s one surprising dash of purple). This being FrüFrü & Tigerlily’s first foray into bags, it took its three founding grrls a whole year to perfect the line, so there’s no way these babies won’t be sitting well on your arm/shoulder.

Available at Blackmarket no.2, Orchard Central, #02-10, T: 6634 5201.

It’s been only been a while since H&M threw the very much coveted collaboration with Versace our way, but already they’re already teasing us with another collab that we’ll queue overnight again for. This time, another Italian label is coming into the picture and it’s the ever-classy Marni, whose vibrant prints are, for lack of a better phrase, to die for. Appropriately enough, the African-inspired and colour-blocked collection’s set to be released for Spring, and from its preview photos, looks perfect for the happy season in every way.

The Marni x H&M collection drops on 8 March.

Yeah, braces sucked alright but oh, weren’t the results worth the years of pain? And now, in a sheer stroke of genius, two orthodontists and a designer have cleverly come up with the Braced-lets to give the same metal brackets and elastic bands a new leash of life – on our wrists! These things are so cute especially when layered over each other, and we say pile on the colours!

www.bracedlets.com

Anyone who mines British subculture is a rich man, for in that evergreen heritage of teds, mods and punks is the gift of music, style, rebellion and teen spirit that will surely outlast even the toughest of Chelsea boots. Those youth tribes didn’t just offer a sensibility as a way of life, but also an identity and a sense of self that you surely can’t find on the high street. Many may have picked at the bones of England’s cultural cow in an attempt to make fashionable sense out of it, but for the meat of the matter, here comes British Remains. Across tees and totes, the London-born label has cast a discerning eye over ol’ Blighty’s loved and lost tribes, and handled them with political and cultural irreverence. So no, there’ll be no shrines to Sid Vicious or exaltations of ace faces here, but clever and challenging attitudes toward English symbols from the Margate riots (1964) to the Royal Wedding (now), as well as common day emblems like a toilet latch and a London brick. Call it art or agitprop, call it an exploration of what it means to be British, but just don’t call it a fashion statement.

And especially not with British Remains’ latest issue of cotton that bears the plain yet provocative title of I HATE. Got beef with punks or mods or skins or teds? There’s a tote bag or a T-shirt that’ll say it loudly and clearly for you in a bold silkscreened slogan. But no idle statement of negativity, these pieces are more a celebration of Britain’s storied subcultural and tribal divides, and the sneering spirit that ensured that distance was kept. Hate, after all, is as potent as love, and no worse a tool to declare your allegiance with. So come on, squire, let’s see you pick a side.

British Remains is exclusively available at Surrender, Raffles Hotel Arcade, #02-31.

If there’s one thing we’re more stoked about than H&M’s recent collaboration with Donatella Versace, it is the Swedish fashion house’s newly announced capsule collection inspired by the David Fincher-directed version of cult film, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. And we have every reason to be this excited: judging by the preview alone, it promises the wardrobe of the introverted hacker protagonist, Lisbeth Salander (played by Rooney Mara), designed by the film’s costume designer, Trish Summerville. While the main look and feel channels the brooding anti-heroine’s lived-in and gothic uniform, there’s also a very Scandinavian element in it (the novel is a Swede product, after all), with unapologetically tight jeans and a handful of drape-y and hole-y tops making its rounds.

To make sure that the designs retain the worn and re-worn feel of Lisbeth Salander’s closet options, materials such as leather were washed until they acquired the softness of well-seasoned hide. According to Anna Norling, designer at H&M Divided (the brand’s youth range), the leather jacket is the collection’s key piece, with a flattering slim cut that would remain relevant for seasons. On top of that, Anna also adds that hoodies and sweatshirts are important individuals in the collection -– all the better to match the film’s darker shades.

Read the December issue of JUICE for an exclusive interview with Trish Summerville, as well as a behind-the-scenes peek at the campaign shoot.

H&M and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo collection will be available at H&M, 1 Grange Road, Orchard Building, from 17 December onwards.

Thai label Flynow has been soaring on the radars of many stylish folks for a long time now, and its upcoming Spring/Summer ’12 collection from its semi-couture and made-to-measure Gold line is just another reason why. In this collection, best described as a melting pot of textures and rich inspirations, Flynow Gold whizzes through the 14th to 16th centuries and picks up a few influences along the way, including those from the decadent Elizabethan era. Though you should expect no less than a smorgasbord of prints to rich textures like Chantilly lace details to matt sequin overlays, the label avoids overkill by focusing on a clean and tailored fit.

The first Asia-Pac Flynow standalone store, which carries both the Black and Gold label, is now open at Raffles Hotel Arcade, #01-25, T: 6338 9697.

The recent Levi’s Design-a-Shoe competition saw more than 150 entries being submitted and over 800 votes cast (who all stood to win Levi’s vouchers if their choice was a winner), and there was little doubt that the public had a tough choice to make with all the beautiful submissions. The ten finalists showed off their nimble fingers and creative minds live in front of the audience – that’s right, the shoes were topped off with the talented input of the finalists in real time! In the end, it was Nuraisyah Ahmad, Wong Chen Kang and Juliana Jansen who knocked everyone’s socks off with their designs and they walked away with Olympus cameras, cash prizes and bragging rights. Good job, guys!

The three winning designs will be displayed at the Levi’s flagship store at Raffles City – check this space for details!

If you just can’t get enough of the ultra-cool Ray-Ban, the newest optical store to hit Holland V will take you inside the Ray-Ban experience. For the first time ever, Ray-Ban has wrapped Eyechamp Optometrists entirely with its favourite pictures – faces of cool dudes and chicks donning the coolest Ray-Ban frames in town. What a nice touch to accompany your Ray-Ban experience! It’s the boldest thing in the chic enclave and its presence is not going unnoticed – make space in your calenders now!

The Ray-Ban trunk show is happening at Eyechamp Optometrist, located at Holland Shopping Centre, #02-34, till 2 January.