Local labels, unicorn outfit part of actress Oon Shu Ann's offbeat style

Oon Shu Ann may be a star now, but we spotted her earlier.

Back in 2012, The New Paper already recognised her talents by awarding her Favourite Female Performance at our FiRST Film Fest.

Now everyone has caught on after Oon, 28, landed a role in US TV series Marco Polo (as concubine Jing Fei) and is currently on Channel 5 legal drama Code Of Law 3.

While her on-screen persona tends to veer towards the serious, Oon is goofy off-duty, especially when it comes to fashion.

She said: "I would say my style is pretty eclectic and possibly eccentric."

When asked to pick an outfit most sentimental to her, she turned up in a unicorn onesie.

Her sartorial mistakes stem from her love for a good bargain.

"I used to go really crazy at sales. A lot of my great buys are from sales. A lot of my horror buys, however, are also a result of these sprees!"

With success comes sensibility.

"These days, I prefer to buy only things that I really like, not just because they are cheap."

And local labels are the ones opening up her wallet.

Oon said: "I love the way Ong Shunmugam mixes the old and the new. The other day I chanced upon Revasseur. I almost died, their stuff is so cool.

"Depression, Hansel, Carrie K., Kiki Culte, Hadasity... And I'm always trying to look out for more."

Her love for local labels started at home - when her sister had a label with a friend called OwnMuse.

"They've stopped it now but I saw how hard it is for local designers. Singapore is so big on importing things, it's wonderful to see us getting exported!"

OON-NICORN

Oon bought this outfit for $60 from Amazon and the socks are from "some pasar malam".

"I got it a couple of years ago when I was feeling a little down and it's done a lot to cheer me up. My boyfriend and I have made a few fun videos with it and it's also kind of how my theatre show with Checkpoint Theatre #UnicornMoment came about."

OON AT WORK

Oon dresses up when she's making appearances.

"It is important that it fits right and it feels good."

Her pick is a clutch bag and a dress from UK label Karen Millen. She is also wearing the most expensive thing she has ever bought - a pair of Christian Louboutin heels that set her back $1,000.

"I was heading to New York for the premiere of Marco Polo, and I thought I'd invest in a pair of heels that were versatile and sexy. And man, those shoes. They really work some kind of magic on your legs!"

SEXY OON

Oon's choice may be unsexy for some.

She explained: "This makes me feel sexy because it's super comfortable. I don't have to worry about my bits falling out, it's not fussy and whenever I have boots on, I feel like I can take on anything."

She's wearing a Dr. Denim top True Religion jeans, Kate Moss for Topshop boots, KiKi Culte bracelets and a Topman necklace.

"A sexy outfit does not necessarily need to show skin, but (one needs) to carry it with one's personality and confidence."

OON ON BREAK

On her day off, Oon's uniform is usually a pair of printed pants (Depression), a plain top (Love, Bonito) and boots (Hussein Chalayan for Puma).

"I like this because I can move in it, which means I can go from rehearsals to meeting friends."

Her skin also gets a break on her day off.

"Sometimes I don't even bother putting on make-up because I really try to let my skin rest."

weeteck@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Feb 6, 2015.
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