Cath Kidston Spring Summer 2012 Mook

The Cath Kidston Special British Issue Spring Summer 2012 mook will be published on 7 April in Japan. Retailing at 1575yen, the 64-page comes with a bag (42 x 27 x 20cm) and matching zip pouch (19.5 x 15cm).

The mook features the Spring/Summer 2012 collection, the roots of the brand, a guide to Cath Kidston's stores in London and explores the first ever Cath Kidston cafe in Kanagawa, Japan (see more pics here).

The Victoria rose print bag has a snap button closure at the top, and an inner flap pocket that fits the zip pouch.

2012 being the year of the London Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, the pouch features a Union Jack print to go along with the British theme of this issue.

Uniqlo Cath Kidston T-shirts Haul at Vivocity

Uniqlo opened its fourth store in Singapore today at Vivocity. The new store is in the unit formerly occupied by River Island, next to Adidas.

It appears to have gotten off to a roaring start, thanks to the popularity of the UT collaboration T-shirts with Cath Kidston, Cacharel, Disney, One Piece etc. There is also a new Corporate Collection of T-shirts with beauty brands like Kate, Lavshuca, Canmake, Bourjois, OPI, Maybelline and Revlon. Everywhere my friend and I went in the mall, we saw people carrying Uniqlo shopping bags featuring either Cath Kidston, One Piece, Barbie or the Care Bears. (The Care Bears collection isn't in yet.)

All the Cath Kidston T-shirt designs are available in Singapore. However, it looks like the shirts and tunics are only available at the 313@Somerset store. The T-shirts are available in S, M, L and XL. The S fits me perfectly.



Here's what I came home with!

As an opening special, the T-shirts are on sale at just S$19.90 at the Vivocity store until 19 May. The normal retail price is S$24.90. The Cath Kidston collection is also available at other Uniqlo stores like Ion Orchard which is also selling the Ts at S$19.90. Considering that Cath Kidston's own T-shirts usually retail for around £25, the Uniqlo collection is much more affordable in comparison.

The T-shirts are made of 100% cotton and feel very soft. I love UT T-shirts like my Paul & Joe ones as they are very comfortable and last well.




The collection benefits a safe motherhood programme in Zambia.

With every two Cath Kidston T-shirts purchased, you get a Cath Kidston paper fan free. There are about 5 designs available. The fans come sealed in opaque sleeves and you are not allowed the choose the design.


With purchase of S$100 of any Uniqlo products, you can also receive a One Piece tumbler.


Aside from these gifts, I also picked up a free Coast To Coast skincare set comprising a Outback Brightening Fruit Fibre Eye Treatment Mask, a Rainforest Foot Exfoliant and a $10 voucher. This is a promotion between Coast To Coast and Vivocity, not Uniqlo. The first 100 shoppers per day between Monday and Friday to spend $100 at Vivocity could redeem a letter at the Vivocity Customer Service Counter and pick up the set at the Coast To Coast store. It seems like today is the last day for the promotion.

The Coast To Coast Rainforest Invigorating Body Exfoliant is one of my favourite body scrubs so I'm sure I'll like the Rainforest Foot Exfoliant too!

Uniqlo x Cath Kidston Charity Project

A friend sent me this snapshot of a local newspaper ad of the Uniqlo Cath Kidston Charity Project. Uniqlo is opening its new store at Vivocity this Friday 29 April and it will be giving away a tumbler with every $100 nett spent in a single receipt. You can also receive an original Cath Kidston fan with every 2 items purchased from the Cath Kidston Charity Project collection. These offers are exclusive to the Vivocity store, according to the ad. I don't know if the collection will be available at Uniqlo's other stores in Singapore, so please check with Uniqlo directly if you wish to know.

The collection's purpose is to raise funds for the Japanese Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning (JOICFP), a charitable non-governmental organisation. Cath Kidston and Uniqlo will make donations from the net proceeds of sale to fund an initiative supporting a safe motherhood program in Zambia. You can view the entire collection on the Uniqlo Japan website.

This is a rare opportunity to get genuine Cath Kidston clothes in Singapore so don't miss out on it if you're a fan!

Cath Kidston in Oxford

To my surprise, there was a Cath Kidston store in Oxford so naturally, we had to visit it! This is actually the first free-standing Cath Kidston store that I've visited, not counting the counters within Selfridges in London and in Daimaru in Osaka.


It was lovely to finally be able to see the full range of Cath Kidston accessories, everything from bags and stationery to home furnishings and kitchenware.




I picked up an assortment of kitchen towels and handkerchieves for my mother plus a couple of laundry bags that would be perfect for travel.

My favourite was this pair of room socks with padded soles.

In other gift shops, there was a plethora of William-and-Kate merchandise, in anticipation of the royal wedding on 29 April.

Osaka/Kyoto Trip Photos Part 2

The Daimaru store in Shinsaibashi in Osaka is spread over a couple of buildings with several stores-in-store. At a lifestyle accessories shop called Afternoon Tea, I found these Liberty print collection of stationery! But since I already have a Blythe 2011 schedule book, I didn't really need any of these.


I stumbled across this Cath Kidston store entirely by chance. It was not staffed so I could snap photos away merrily. The prices are quite jacked up compared to the UK, so it's not surprising that the Cath Kidston stores in the UK are often full of Japanese tourists.





Gelato Pique

Later in the day, I was in Kyoto JR station. I could smell the aroma of this Lush store at least 20 metres before I found it!




K-Palette's 1 Day Tattoo Real Lasting Eyeliner packaged with a set of false eyelashes. The eyeliner has sold more than 6.5 million units.

More clothes shops.


Rirakkuma catcher machine.

Settling in for the long weekend

Finally, it's a long weekend here in Singapore as it is Hari Raya! My Amazon shipment of DVDs arrived just in time for me to laze the weekend away with some of my favourite TV shows. Starting first with House as the king of snark is my personal hero.

A good friend just returned from London and brought me this Cath Kidston pouch, knowing that I can always use another makeup pouch.

And to top it all off, Shiseido makeup maestro Dick Page just left a comment on my earlier post about the new Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color palettes! What a lovely surprise :-) He had left a comment back in 2008 too. I'm looking forward to seeing the makeup looks that he will create for the New York Fashion Week shows!