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About Me

About Me
CrystalPhuong.net is a Personal Style & Travel Blog based in Singapore, written by Crystal Phuong. The blog was nominated FOUR times in Top 10 Best Fashion Blogs in the annual Singapore Blog Award from 2012- 2015, voted as one of the Best Lifestyle Blogs in Singapore in 2013 by Hotelclub.com, and Best Travel Blogs in 2016 by Foodpanda.com. Crystal hopes to connect and inspire young women to lead a healthy and happy life. Be confident, be positive, and be kind.
{TRAVEL}: BROOKLYN BRIDGE

{TRAVEL}: BROOKLYN BRIDGE



Nothing feels more satisfying than crossing an item off your bucket list, especially the item that has been on the list for 15 years.  In my case, "Brooklyn Bridge" is the "item" that I have been dying to cross off. 
Having that plan in mind, I tried to squeeze time in between the shows on day 7 of #NYFW and made my way to this iconic place by any means. After 45 minutes traveling the underground (Subway, that's how New Yorkers call it), all by myself, changing 2 different trains, and finally I arrived at Brooklyn Bridge.  

The weather was incredibly beautiful that day. The sky was blue, the air was crisp, and the leaves started changing color for Fall. It was the perfect time for me to visit the bridge. Seeing the Brooklyn Bridge many times in the movies, I thought I should be familiar with it by the time I got there. But the truth is, no movie can tell how it feels when I get a chance to touch, feel and see the bridge up close, with all my senses. I looked up to the bridgehead, looked down to the busy street, and looked over the Manhattan skyline. I couldn't help but have a selfish thought: "If only I could stop the Time Machine and enjoy this beauty all by myself, a little bit longer".  

I was not only magnetized by the beauty of the Brooklyn Bridge, but also greatly inspired by the true life story behind this Gothic-styled bridge. Just in case you don't know, Brooklyn Bridge was an initial idea of German-born engineer John Roebling. In 1869, he wanted to build a spectacular bridge to connect from Manhattan to Brooklyn. There was no other bridge at that time, thus everyone (even the experts) thought it was a crazy and impossible idea. They advised him to forget his plan.  But Roebling's passion and intuition kept telling him that he was right, he did not give up. The only person who supported him was his son, Washington Roebling, was an upcoming engineer. Together, they prepared the plan, hired people and made things happen. Unfortunately, John died in a tragic accident only a  few months after the bridge was started. His dream vision was then transferred to his son. Washington carried on with the project as he did not want to disappoint his father. However, he was also suffered from paralyzing injury that left him brain damage and immobile. The only person he could communicate to was his wife- Emily Roebling, using his fingers and codes. Everyone thought the Brooklyn Bridge plan would fail, but the Roebling family proved them wrong, once again. Emily spent 11 years assisting her husband to communicate with the engineers and to keep the project going. On 24th May 1883, Brooklyn Bridge was completed and opened for 150, 000 people crossing over.  

How many people have crossed the bridge today? I don't know the number, but I do know that the Roebling's determination, dedication and sacrifice have changed the lives of so many people in New York. They were the true life examples of never giving up, even when the whole world seemed to be against you. 

If that story is not inspiring enough to make you visit the Brooklyn Bridge just once in your lifetime, I don't know what will. 

I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity that brought me here. Not only was I able to witness the Brooklyn Bridge in reality, but also, I had this golden memory captured in photos, by a talented friend and photographer, Funmi Arjie. Thank you so much for being a part of my wonderful story with the Brooklyn Bridge!



















Photos by: Fumi Photos
Thank you so much for reading!

::Outfit::
 Topshop floral midi skirt- Similar here
Sophia Webster Electra Sandals
Gorjana lariat necklace
Topshop rings
Bracelet various from Shopbop
Dior sunglasses.



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{NYFW}: PORSCHE DESIGN SS15

{NYFW}: PORSCHE DESIGN SS15



If somebody was to ask me, "How does sleek style look like?", I will never hesitate to say "Please watch Porsche Design SS15 fashion show and you'll know the answer". I felt so incredibly lucky and grateful that I was able to watch the show live on the runway, during New York Fashion Week (Thank you so much, Christian Weiss!). Trust me when I say, these photos (by Style.com) are already so beautiful, but still they don't do enough justice to the actual collection itself. As sleek as its title "ZenTech" sounds, the Porsche Design SS15 collection focuses on simple and smooth silhouettes on many neutral color palettes such as white, black, beige, and dark blue. Suddenly, I felt like I have just cheated on my other vibrant colored outfits for "ZenTech". I couldn't keep my eyes off the futuristic collection that Thomas Steinbruck, Creative Director of Porsche Design, brought to the audience on that day.

For the men, Thomas worked his magic on baggy shorts with collared shirts, blazers and even a cargo jacket with ribbed knit sweaters, to create a relaxed-but-polished look. For the women, Thomas emphasized simplicity, sophistication and chic throughout his collection. From the plunging neckline, shiny bandeau top, deep V-neck jumpsuit to the asymmetrical dress, obi belts and shiny leather dress, every piece on the runway portrays a modern woman. She is strong, confident, successful, and yet she is still elegant, feminine and beautiful.

I had a very strong connection with this collection. It felt as if Thomas communicated directly to me via his beautiful designs. Since 20 years old, I've been trying to figure out what type of women I want to be in the future. I wanted to be an independent woman who is successful in anything she does, but never forgets who she is and where she comes from. I always want to know how does she look, and Thomas has overwhelmed me with so many answers from his collection. 

Saying "I'm completely head over heels in love with Porsche Design SS15" would be an understatement.
















Thank you so much for reading! 
Photos from: Style.com
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{TRAVEL}: NEW YORK DIARY

{TRAVEL}: NEW YORK DIARY



New York Fashion Week (#NYFW) has long gone, and I've already come back to Singapore for a month, but the memory about New York still stays so strong in my mind, as if It was just yesterday. It takes me a month to publish all the photos, the blog entries that I'm supposed to do, and I'm still not done yet. There are (approximately) 6 more blog posts after this one, so please allow me to live in my New York dream for another month, before I come back to the reality. That excessive amount (1300) of photos, I took during my 8 days in New York, is good enough to tell you how much New York offered me. 

Just like many people, New York is my dream city. Since I was 15 years old, I've always been hoping for that one day, I could visit New York. I put this city on my Resolution List every year, but I didn't know how, neither did I see any chance of making it happen. Many times, I felt disappointed, upset and hopeless. 

Until one day in June, my good friend- Ashley (who lives in New York) asked me to visit her. At the same time I received an invitation from RewardStyle to attend their rooftop party during fashion week, and suddenly, a serious thought crossed my mind "It's time to go to New York". 

First, I was so excited, so yes, I had to go. On second thoughts, I was worried: "I don't know anyone in New York other than Ashley, what would I do there all by myself?", "I hate traveling alone, I've never done that before", "It costs too much money. I have to save for other important things". I had more fear than excitement, I consulted many people for advice, I pre-booked the hotel and I cancelled it, twice. It went on like that for 2 months. 

Until the third week of August, there was a very spontaneous thought that made everything change: "You know what? Stop worrying so much about everything, let's just do it once and see what happens. This is your dream, make it happen". I booked the flight immediately via Expedia, as I was afraid If I didn't do it right away, I would change my mind after that.

Flight booked. Hotel confirmed. I went from the situation of "I wish to go to New York" to "I have to go to New York". My 15 year long dream of going to New York was accomplished within a click of a mouse, just like that?  While my boyfriend was excited for me, I was still worried: "What should I do there for 8 days all alone?". #NYFW happened during that time. I should visit Lincoln Center to get a glimpse of how fashion week looks, and perhaps, take photos of street style fashion to feature on my blog. That was all I thought of doing. 

But then the ambition and the passion didn't allow me to stop there. I spent a few days searching on Google for an answer of "How to attend New York Fashion Week?". I couldn't find anything, except for a little bit of information like: You can't buy tickets, you have to be invited or you must be press or media. That left me with not much choice. I took courage to write an email to IMG World Wide (Mercedes Benz Fashion Week organizer) to introduce myself and to express my keen interest in covering the event. I didn't put much hope that my email would get their attention as they probably receive thousands of emails like that everyday. Surprisingly, somebody from IMG replied to my email and told me to register as media. I followed her instruction, paid USD$100 for my application fee and was fully aware that my application would unlikely be approved. There were thousands of applications submitted for media. Besides, my humble blog is nothing compared to ELLE, Harper Bazaards, or other famous bloggers in the industry. I had very low expectations of success as I didn't want to be disappointed later. 

Two days later (on August 25th), something magically happened. An email was sent to me from IMG saying: "We are happy to inform you that your application for Press and Industry Accreditation for {{Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2015}} has been APPROVED". I screamed out loud, ran around like a crazy kid, and smiled like somebody who just struck a lottery. 

I made it as one of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week approved media. Invitations to the shows started flooding into my mailbox. I put all of them in my calendar so that I would not miss any shows. Meanwhile, I put up a casting notice on a photography platform to reach out to photographers in New York for a potential collaboration shot while I was there. I received more emails than I expected. In the end, I shortlisted some good photographers to shoot with me on day 3, day 4, day 5 and day 6. Thank you so much to everyone who responded to my casting call. I wish I could stay a little bit longer to do more shoots with all of you. 

The calendar was quickly filled up. I left Singapore for New York at midnight, with only two pieces of luggage, a camera, a laptop, a flight ticket, a hotel confirmation, a bunch of invitations, and of course, a big dream. The rest of the story, let the photos speak for itself. 

Finally, I can say, I'm so happy and honored to share with you, my dream-to-reality trip: New York! 
 Travel in style! When it comes to longhaul flight, I always go for a simple outfit that gives me maximum comfort. In this case, I picked a simple tee, slouchy pants, sneakers, denim or moto jacket to keep me warm. I bought the ELLE luggage specially for this trip to keep all my important things: camera, charger, laptop, personal items and some skin care products for this flight. I'll share about my in flight skincare routine next time. 

Having 25 hours in flight without internet connection was a big challenge to me, thus I made sure to clear off all outstanding emails before I took off. 

After 25 hours, my dream land was finally here, for real!
 I stayed at my friend's house for 2 nights as she insisted that I should spend personal time with her first, then I moved to this place: the Park Central New York hotel.


 Thank you, the Park Central Hotel for your excellent service and hospitality while I was there. The king sized bed was so comfortable to sleep in. I didn't even have jet lag at all. 



Thanks to Julia Jordan for giving me 2 beautiful dresses to wear to the shows. It was truly a sweet surprise and the warmest welcome I've ever had. 


A home away from home with a mini shoe closet. All was ready for a big day, in the next morning.

 Collected my press pass and got myself ready to watch the first show of the day: Lie Sangbong Holding a press credential in hand, with my photo and my name on it, I couldn't help but feel a little bit emotional. I flew almost ten thousand miles for this. A month ago, this pass was somewhere in my luxurious dream, almost impossible to get. There I was standing, right in front of Lincoln Center, with my media pass and about to watch the first show of the day. I realized, our dreams are not as scary as we think. It is our fear that stops us from achieving our dreams. If we work hard enough, eventually dreams will come true.


After the first show, I went to RewardStyle party. It was a rooftop party that I was invited to attend in June. 
 I met so many amazing people. This includes Super Model Coco Rocha which I truly admire. It was a fan girl moment for me. She was so nice that she bent down to take a photo with me. 

 Met a famous blogger Jessica Stein from Tuula Vintage. 

 In between the shows, I always made time for myself strolling around the city to experience the life of New York. The building, the street, the people, the subway, the food stall, and even the parking system appeared fascinating to me. 









New York in real life has much more energy, vibrancy and charm than it actually does in many movies I've seen. Even though it has always been my dream city to visit, I didn't know if I would love it or I hate it before this trip. I heard different opinions from different people about New York. Some love it while others hate it. I'm so glad I've made it all the way here to form an opinion of my own about this famous city. 

As much as I'd love to talk to you more in depth, but it's impossible to put it all out in this blog entry which is already quite lengthy. It feels just like a dream while I'm writing this blog post, and I do not want to wake up from this dream just yet. 

I'll have to see you in the part 2 of my New York Diary. 

Thank you so much for being here with me, thus far. 
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{NYFW}: TIMES SQUARE

{NYFW}: TIMES SQUARE



After watching Vivienne Hu SS15's collection, a very early show in the morning on Day 6 of #NYFW, I managed to squeeze time to do a quick photo shoot with Marcus from State of Rebel, a talented photographer from New York. I had arranged the shoot with Marcus a week before I flew to New York and he was so cooperative, enthusiastic and professional. Marcus allowed me to choose whatever location I wanted, so of course, there wasn't any location I could think of, other than the iconic Times Square. 

It wasn't too hard for us to find each other at the heart of the most chaotic, crowded and happening place in the whole wide world. Thanks to mobile phone technology, I just stood in one place, texted him and he just walked over. After a short formal introduction, we quickly discussed the shoot that we wanted to achieve and looked for an ideal location. 

The ideal location in our mind was somewhere with less or no people. Unfortunately, a place like that doesn't exist in Times Square, despite both of us walking block after block, for nearly an hour.

We decided to change our plan in the end. 

Instead of finding a quiet place, we shot at every location we went to, with people, cars, and the surroundings. We tried to bring the Times Square life to the photos, as close to the reality as possible. The typical outfit photos in front of Lincoln Center during #NYFW became a real street style series, at the most famous place in New York. 

I'm so glad I made a decision to do this out of the crazy fashion show schedule. 
Thank you so much, Marcus for making my dream photos come to life.   










Thank you so much for reading!
::Outfit::
ASOS black crop top (old)- Also love this one
Floral vintage midi skirt- Also love this one
State tweed moto jacket via Nordstrom- Also love this one currently on sales.
Lovisa statement necklace- Also love this one
Valentino rockstud pumps
Valentino studded cross body bag
Coach sunglasses- Michael Kors watch- Moschino iPhone case. 


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