IT WAS a fortnight of mystery at some fashion events. On Thursday, menswear brand Mark Fairwhale was launched.

There are 900 Mark Fairwhale boutiques throughout China and the first shop here landed in Iluma.

But who is Mark Fairwhale? Most of the guests had no idea.

Said model/artiste Andrea Savage, 25: 'I haven't heard of (the label) before this event.'

Events director Cheryl Hansen, 45, was equally clueless, saying it was the first time she had heard of the clothing line.

To clear the mystery, the brand is the brainchild of Chinese fashion designer Mark Cheung. 'Fairwhale' came about because the designer wanted to find a name that represented himself (Mark) and the idea of the free spirit, strength and tenacity of the white whales found in oceans.

The faux Caucasian name could also be the reason why there were no distinctly Asian faces at the fashion show to launch the brand.

Still, the clothes were a hit with some of the guests.

Fly Entertainment artiste Shane Mardjuki already has an idea what he wants to buy from the shop. The dashing actor and host said: 'I want to get a purple shirt that a model was wearing. The stuff is soft and wearable and the designs are simple, with little flair here and there.'

Shane had a busy week too. On Wednesday night, he was spotted at the Crocs events at The Butter Factory. The shoe brand launched a range of footwear for the upcoming season.

It's a step away from the chunky clogs but the shoes are still light, durable and slip-resistant.

IT specialist Sufian Mohamed, 27, cooed: 'I'm very excited about the new line of Crocs. I saw a few pairs from the new collection that I want to get for myself.'

The mystery at this event wasn't so much the shoes, but that killer rock on host Stephanie Carrington's ring finger. The 26-year-old was flashing her blinding, 2.4-carat diamond ring designed by her fiance Kiran Raj. They'll be tying the knot in Bali on 9 May.

'I want to keep the wedding classic, traditional and formal,' Stephanie said.

There are no plans for kids yet. At least not until she is 30. But Stephanie is getting a warm-up. She said: 'I'm very busy taking care of my puppy!'
Click to see larger image

The final mystery of this fortnight of parties is the slick white box found at the Absolut Vodka launch last Wednesay. It was a limited-edition gift pack of a box which unfolds to serve as a portable 'mini bar'.

The Ambassador of Sweden Par Ahlberger was there. He said: 'I'm a big fan of it.'

His wife Helene joked: 'He's an absolutist.'

This article was first published in The New Paper