All street style images were created by, and copyright licensed to Karen Woo. Please seek permission regarding licensing before use on social media/web by emailing hello@karenwoo.com.au. Thank you so much for your support.
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Exploring Kuala Lumpur in Style and Wonder
Eat, Play and Love is what KL is all about
What I love about travelling to a new country is hanging out with the locals and immersing myself into their culture. Kuala Lumpur was no exception – the sweet smell of durian (well…to some it’s smelly and prohibited in hotel rooms); the high-pitch sound of motor bikes passing by; and the incredible taste of traditional Malay street food.
We explored the Central Market street stalls and found myself devouring a variety of traditional sweet and savory food. I ate a fried whole fish covered in spicy sauces, custard vanilla and durian puffs, bowls of prawn mee, curry laksa, and nasi lemak, milk pearl tea and even drank an icy cold passionfruit drink from a bag.
Of course I couldn’t have claimed to have visited KL without visiting the grand Petronas Twin Towers. The towers were so popular that I couldn’t even get a ticket to experience the walkway between the two towers (tip: pre book your tickets at least 5 days in advance). I’d have to say my visit to the towers was surreal – they really do glitter and glow. Although for me the highlight was in the gardens below where a magical little forest of ancient looking trees with roots exposed and dangling, provided a nice resting place and of course a great photo opportunity. No I am not posing in a scene from Lord of the Rings, but this was really the garden at Petronas Twin Towers.
This blog post couldn’t go without saying that I honestly believe the hidden gem in this city is its rustic street art, which is spread all over the city’s buildings and walls. The bold colours of the colonial buildings creating a rainbow of endless photo opportunities and backdrop. As a shopaholic I’d expected to leave Central Market with bags of cute and probably useless trinkets, instead I spent hours in the heat scouting and photographing all the locations that I fancied.
I ate, played and loved KL. Definitely a place to be if you are thinking about escaping Melbourne’s wintry weather.
Finally as I bid my farewells to this stunning city, I want to thank the following special list of people:
- Ruby Wang of TheRubyCanvas for this unexpected and awesome opportunity. I can’t wait to travel with you to NYC in September coming up real soon!
- Synthia Kek for her lively personality as she showed us off to her Facebook friends and interviewed us live, and of-course for her warm hospitality when we stayed at The Gardens – A St Giles Signature Hotel & Residences
- Venicia Gaul and her creative team at Piranhanyc for the opportunity to work with them on the St Giles Hotel campaign
- Last and not the least, my travelling partner in crime: Dee of AdaptTrend, who has not only been such a great friend over the years but a super stylist, writer and photographer who took on my creative direction to heart and made it her own. Thank you and love ya to bits xx
words and images of me // DEE DARWICHE of AdaptTrend
creative direction, words and images // KAREN WOO
outfits // SHEIKE
rose gold sandals // BARED FOOTWEAR
The Gardens – A St Giles Signature Hotel & Residences at Kuala Lumpur
Location, Location, Location!
Any Aussie would tell you that where you reside is all about the location, so staying at the The Gardens – A St Giles Signature Hotel & Residences did not disappoint. I couldn’t be happier to discover how central the hotel was, especially that a mall was attached to the hotel! It wasn’t just a mall, The Gardens Mall is a Fashionistas’ paradise of high end fashion brands such as Gucci, Hermes, Balenciaga, Mulberry, Louis Vuitton, DKNY, to name a few; and their local designer brands and food markets. I was also in complete awe by their immaculate presentation of shopfronts, fit outs and of-course their individual marketing campaign images which gave me so much photography inspiration.
Puffy eyed, and dishevelled after an early flight I was delighted to step out of the humidity of the city to the crisp, clean, and very elegant hotel lobby. I was greeted by the enthusiastic Synthia Kek, who kindly gave me a tour of the hotel facilities and my room at the Executive Premier room. All I could ask is that I had more time to enjoy everything the hotel had to offer. Pool, gym, and all the modern comforts you’d expect from a five star hotel.
The hotel’s award-winning, Sage Restaurant & Wine Bar did not disappoint either. Well of-course since it is consistently voted among the Top 5 restaurants in Kuala Lumpur! The elegant dining room and attentive service set the table for Chef Daniel’s creative take on French & Japanese classics. And when you sit at the open kitchen table, the Chef and his team prepare their heavenly delights right before your eyes. I’m still salivating as I’m reliving my foodie experience.
Therefore if you are like me, who is after convenience and being central to all the touristy hotspots like Central Market, Petronas Twin Towers, Train stations and mega malls, then look no further. I definitely recommend staying at the Gardens Hotel & Residences.
Next up I’ll delve into my adventures out and about on the streets of KL so stay tuned xx
images // KAREN WOO
words and images of me // DEE DARWICHE of AdaptTrend
printed top, pants and playsuit // SHEIKE
rose gold sandals // BARED FOOTWEAR
caftan // CAMILLA
Our tasting menu as it unfolded throughout the night:
Entre:
Carpaccio of Wagyu Rump with Plum Infused Konbu Sauce
Royale of Maine Lobster with Yuzu Citrus and Fresh Chives
Main:
Smoked Duck Breast with Watermelon and Foie Gras
Grain Fed Beef with Yuzukoshou and Noisette Miso Sauce
Slow Cooked Almond Crusted Lamb Rack with Meaux Mustard Sauce
Dessert:
Fresh Berries with Champange Sabayon and Vanilla Ice Cream
French Chocolate Fondant with Earl Grey Tea Ice Cream
Address: The Gardens Residences, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, 59200 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Derby Day Highlights for Lexus and Lavazza 2015
Can you believe it is the 1st of November today, and I already have a cray cray super organised friend who has already put up her Christmas Tree!? Let’s just park Christmas aside for moment, because the most anticipated Melbourne event of the year has kick started – it’s Derby Day at the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.
Driving into Flemmington Racecourse was quite horrendous with the downpour of rain, but thankfully the weather held up and all the fashionistas turned up in their stylish monochromatic outfits for a fabulous time at the Lexus and Lavazza Marquee.
My favourite outfits of the day (in no particular order) were Jess Dempsey in Dolce & Gabana lace ensemble as dressed by the Outnet.com and headpiece by Danika; Jacqui Felgate in Nicholas the label and Milinery Jill big bow head piece; Helen (Designer for Thurley) in her own custom designed Thurley dress ; Kate Waterhouse in white Stella McCartney top and wide legged pants and Nerida Winter hat; Margaret Zhang in Dion Lee and Sarina Suriano Jewel headpiece; Jessica Gomes in Ellery’s trademark bell sleeved dress; and the beautiful ladies in Louis Vuitton.
Anyway, I’ll let you decide … enjoy the snaps! For more images, please visit What Would Karl Do.
Special love and appreciation to S.Wallis for dressing me this year to keep me comfortable and stylish xxx
All images were photographed by Karen Woo. Please email hello@karenwoo.com.au for permission of usage, thank you so much for your support.
