| HOW
EVENTFUL!
It’s that time
of the year again when event invitations are circling faster than a socialite
on skates. Adrian Wong tells you how to work it like a pro.
TEXT
ADRIAN WONG There
it sits nestled amidst your Platinum Visa credit card bill and your air-flown
magazines. An understated vanilla envelope in creamy 270gm smooth laid Conqueror
with the name of the company embossed on its front, the words marking its 150th
anniversary below it in gold. As your fingers run over the logo, you emit a little
squeal. Equal parts of excitement mixed with the same amount of fright. An
invitation to an event, no matter how big or small, is always a little like the
headache that follows a night out with Dom Perignon. Yup. Event season is officially
here. The most famous invitation, (albeit a fictitious one) was the scroll Cinderella
snuck out from her stepmother. A few centuries later, an invite to the ball isn’t
as life-changing but the drama still hasn’t gone away. WHAT
TO WEAR Our dear Cinders
was lucky enough to have a fairy godmother. In this day and age of mixed brand
boutiques and stand-alone stores, one must pull together one’s own magic by herself.
The basics: Never wear anything that
looks larger or longer than your body. Leave the runway couture looks on the runway.
You should provide the drama, not the dress. Case
in point: My friend Karen’s attempt to wow the guests at the certain society magazine’s
ball in Hong Kong circa 2003. She had shopped for a gown in 3 countries and finally
found it in Milan during a global meeting there. It was a gold lamé goddess creation
from Versace with a long train. | 
