Naiise Conversations - With The Weekend Cheoks

The start of the new year is the most universal holiday shared by everyone. While it may mean slightly different things to different people, the underlying message is almost always the same: it's a brand new year, a brand new start - let's do everything we can this year that we didn't manage in the last. Let's make the year count!

To usher in the new year, Naiise invited the three fun, irreverent and self-described as 'irregular' sisters behind the lifestyle blog Weekend Cheoks to curate their top 10 items for the new year according to their unique personalities. 

Samantha, the face of Weekend Cheoks, draws upon her fashion experience and bold tastes to curate a series of items that will perk up your living and work spaces for an inspired year.

Stacey, the avid thinker and writer behind Weekend Cheoks, goes introspective and curates meaningful items that will help us take on a new lifestyle regime, remember our promises and strike out our procrastinated errands.

Hazel, the baby of Weekend Cheoks, reminds us that the start of the new year also means the start of the dreaded school term, and picks out quirky yet useful knickknacks to comfort returning students like herself come January.

We spent some time chatting with the lively sisters, each so different in their ways, but oddly always in sync, the way only sisters are. Here's what they have to say:

Who are the Weekend Cheoks and how did the website come about?

We are 3 sisters who are big on everything in life. We are passionate and obsessive over the things that we love and currently, we are channelling all our love into Weekend Cheoks. The name was decided a year ago with plans for it to be a personal style blog. Somewhere around this year, we were spoiled by the many travels we had and decided to turn the whole thing upside down and made it into a travel and lifestyle blog.

How similar or different are your personalities and signature styles?

Well, we have to admit. No matter how much people think we look and behave alike, we are actually all very different. Our signature styles are the parallel reflection of our personalities. Sam is driven and forward-thinking. She is big on classics and timeless pieces, composing of ladylike pencil dresses, colored and classic suits. Stacey is obsessive and just plain lazy, digging the off-duty chic look that works itself out without having to put in much effort. And Hazel is just all over the place, exploring different styles from time to time. She coordinates her quirkiness with basics to add in a little gist of fun. We share everything in our wardrobe and inspire one another. We are similar in the way we talk and the bad habits that we cultivated while growing up to the annoyance of our Mom.

Thank you for curating our New Year collection. What are some of your top picks from this collection? 

S: The Textured Hammered Bands are minimal yet playful. Leverage on its simplicity and ‘stackability’ to throw in some of your own statement rings. The organic finish leaves it raw edged. And I simply adore the Brave Front Platform Heels. Every woman should have a pair of good shoes that can bring her from work to play. The shoes garners the right amount of attention with the playful gold accent without being over the top. I would pair it with the white Blake & Co. Waist Strap Dress that I picked.

St: Although I have been very big on apartment lately, I will have to go with the Linus Roadster bicycle. I wanted a bicycle so much to end the year with that I even bought a bicycle bell as a foreplay in reminding myself that I really need to get one! Also, the Rememberings will be a huge lifesaver for me. My friends accused me of being an overthinker and I can get very forgetful. The Rememberings will come in handy when I have errands to run or promises to fulfil – I simply just have to put a ring on it!

H: My top pick will have to be the Darkroom Army Eeshaun Camera. I’ve always been a film camera fanatic and this reinvented vintage analogue camera will be a great addition to my collection. Its fun exterior adds a thousand points! Everyone needs a million watches so they can put the blame on it when they’re late or maybe insist they’re early according to their own watch. Well, at least that’s what I do. I’ll kill for all of KOMONO’s printed watches. They bring out your individual colours and fits for all occasions. I picked the KOMONO Wizard Print Expressionist Watch. I like how the colour splash looks messed up yet retains the simplicity vibe. Love it!

What are some New Year resolutions you will be making this year? 

S: I want to spend more time with my family and loved ones and travel around the world with them more. I would also want to take some time off for myself and resume my yoga regime.

St: Get a bicycle and start taking my yoga membership more seriously. I want to hit bigger milestones in my personal life, work and of course, for Weekend Cheoks too. I have been dreaming so much about so many things, 2014 is definitely the year to start getting to work and realising procrastinated dreams.

H: My first New Year resolution is to graduate smoothly from Polytechnic in the coming April. I want to travel to Europe with my sisters to visit and explore old towns and farms in horses. My Investment teacher always tells me that ‘the best thing to invest is in your health’. So I want to maintain a healthier lifestyle and lose some of that weight on my tummy.

How is design important to you?

S: Being in the fashion industry, design is basically our very root of existence. It speaks of a person character and dreams. It is personal and precious.

St: Design is the manifestation of personalities and ideologies. I cannot imagine living in a world oblivious to design. But then again, a boring world can also create monotonous patterns that are yet another form of design. Similar mechanism to the broken window fallacy. Am I making sense here?

What can we look forward to next year from Weekend Cheoks?

St: More travels! We may be revisiting countries that we have been to but we are striving to do so in a different style to give our readers different perspectives of the same place. No two persons are identical and the world is pretty big. There is just so much more we have not seen and missed seeing. We may be abusing the blog along the way but we really want to put everything we think and see onto Weekend Cheoks.

 H: We are currently planning out more projects and ideas to put up on the website. Please look forward to more travelogues as we embark on our adventures all over the World!

Any tips for Naiise living in 2014?

Do your best, but know your limits. I overheard it on a recap episode of NCIS. Knowing that there is only this much we can do, we should strive to make the best out of it. Do it extravagantly, do it swimmingly - then leave the recognition to God.