floral perspex.


The day I met Gabriel Lee, he was calm, collected but most of all, he was cool. In true Gabriel Lee style, he sported the blue basket weave Kenzo x New Era cap (the same one I spent a week hunting down) and New Balance kicks and I knew immediately, even with his back turned to me, that this was the Raffles graduate who had so ingeniously come up with baseball caps embellished with lace, flowers and perspex. Fresh off his winner of a collection at Fashion Week, Lee said all the exposure had made his schedule much busier but was glad to have the attention. Christine and I wasted no time contacting him, begging to shoot the incredible The Daughter of a Maid collection as soon as it came off the runway. But deep down inside, the two of us were most excited to wear his caps.

I actually got a bit giddy, opening the garment bag housing the precious cap. It's like when a king finally gets to wear his crown. As a true headwear lover, I can appreciate the creativity that went into the design of this cap, which in my opinion was the standout piece in his collection. Some days I like to wear caps, other days I prefer floral headbands but when one can't decide, the only logical thing to do is to combine both. A true balance of masculine and feminine but not in the traditional suiting sense. "But it doesn't actually protect you from the sun!" you say. In all seriousness, who actually wears a hat for its original purpose? I know I don't.

Please Gabriel, do us cap lovers a favour and launch your online store already!

Photos by Christine Ai

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