Archived from April 2010:

At a time when fashion adopts a more individual approach to dressing up and the conscious consumer wants more variety in terms of price and range, the multi-label store concept is even more appealing these days.
One of the latest is Materiel which offers cult labels from abroad as well as its own in-house brand called la base.
The latter has already made an impression with its collection of tees with tiger prints designed in conjunction with the Year of the Tiger.
Other brands include Saturday, a Singaporean label which is all about casual chic clothes, New Zealand's Federation Clothing, a skatewear label started by husband-and-wife team Nick and Jenny Clegg, America's 2k by Gingham which feature t-shirts with various patterns and artworks, quirky Thai brand Headquarter, reckless ericka, an avant garde brand from Singapore and Italy's Vita accessories, famous for its spiked and studded bangles.
While these labels can stand on their own with their unique characters and identities, Sweden's Dr. Denim Jeans' collection appears to be more commercial and interesting.
For its spring/summer 2010 collection, the brand focuses on a "simplicity with a twist" approach. Designs are simple and classic but with a bit of Swedish quirk. Ironically, the brand, which is said to be hip and cool, is inspired by the nerd. "We use the nerd as a role model and pick a new nerd theme every season to graphically illustrate our passion for denim," said the brand's rep who wishes to remain anonymous for reasons unknown.
Dr. Denim Jeans takes geek chic to a whole new level with its line of sought-after light-rinsed washes and "true vintage" stretch jeans.
"We've developed the "destroyed" look and we've gone in the light direction, with lighter washes on average and with influences from the 90's grunge look. We're still working on the dressy look at the same time but we feel that the "destroyed vintage" theme remains strong this year".
Among its latest jeans is Stanley which has a vintage-orientated style in terms of details. It's got a heavy YKK zipper with a red zipper tape and age-old elements like hidden rivets on the back pockets, and non-parallel multi-shade tobacco stitches.
Jones meanwhile features a regular fit but the legs are more heavily tapered and the design is more contemporary than vintage.
"If you look closely, the cut between the legs and some details such as the front pockets and the single needle stitch on the back pockets are so stylish. It also stands out with its low crotch which gives a very alluring silhouette".
Jessica is the new ladies' fit, tight but with straight-cut legs, that creates the illusion of slimmer and longer legs, something any woman wouldn't mind.
Complementing the jeans are shirts and tees in various prints, especially checks, and artwork. The tees and singlets come with subtle colorations in a hand-drawn theme.
"The story behind the artwork is tied to our nerd role model. For instance, on a design entitled "Erin's Love letter" our muse writes a love letter, and it is up to our imagination to decide whether it's her love for music or if she's thinking about someone special.
"In the "Speech Bubble" artwork, we follow her thoughts in various directions. The prints on the male t-shirt "Mario" depict her music collection, as she shows an obsessive interest in music".
There's also a line of button-front cardigans with the classic Argyle motif. These can be paired with jeans of any design and even trousers or skirts for that preppy look. Materiel's flagship store is in Pavilion and it will also soon open in Isetan, The Gardens, both in Kuala Lumpur.