Loretta Chen, the director of critically acclaimed plays like the Vagina Monologues, talks about courting controversy and promoting arts entrepreneurship.

One should not court controversy just for the sake of creating a controversy, but it must be an issue that needs to be addressed and it takes research, time and commitment to create a coherent argument and then present it in a form of “entertainment”.

Indeed, being a director takes guts. And being a controversial one at that requires a healthy sense of self, a supportive network system of family and friends who believe in you, a deep sense of humility, a keen appetite for adventure and an immense capacity for humour.

I hope to see the art equivalent of Spring Singapore that could be established to help younger artists. For starters, there could be the increasing use of “entrepreneurial” rhetoric in tandem with the arts to encourage young artists to see themselves as “arts entrepreneurs” as opposed to the perennial “starving artists”. We have been very successful in creating a sexy, vibrant image of scientists in Singapore, and can do the same in highlighting artists as social or arts entrepreneurs.

I also hope to see greater competitiveness of small creative companies versus big corporate players — various corporations also venturing into the “live” medium, thereby threatening the viability of these smaller theatre companies.

Finally, I hope the theatre audiences will keep growing, as it is their presence that spurs us on to greater altitudes. Is that too much to ask for five years? We always work towards and hope for the best.

There are few names more English in men’s fashion than Paul Smith. And while it’s been over three decades since Sir Paul, who hails from Beeston, Nottinghamshire, showed his first menswear collection in Paris under his self-titled label, his creative contribution is plainly evident in his new Paul Smith London collection.

Inspiration came from an English gentleman’s wardrobe from the early 1900’s, an era very familiar to Smith from watching his elders dress as a child. The label was always intended for the modern businessman but this season there is an emphasis on evening-wear which makes playing hard all night after working hard all day at the office an easy and stylish transition. Look for one button shawl collar jackets, peaked lapel suits, and Prince of Wales checks among other distinctive features, all reminders of how Paul Smith has been able to remain so relevant through the years.

If you want to enjoy fashion without being fashionable in the office or boardroom, this is the label for you.

It’s a welcome trend that men in the US are opening up their wallets to snap up accessories like belts and wallets for themselves.

Anticipating a similar retail binge by here, Cartier Singapore has, for the first time in South-east Asia, dedicated a space in its swanky new Ion Orchard boutique for the dapper gentleman looking to complete his ensemble. And rightly so, given that sophisticated men were key customers of the Cartier Maison in the early years.

So while the missus has her choice of baubles and bling, her significant other is no less neglected with the myriad variety of luxuries for their lifestyle needs, housed in one accessible area.

Step into the “men’s salon” on level and take your pick from fancy tickings, ranging from the iconic Santos 100 to mechanical marvels like the Rotonde Central Chronograph. Why not add a pair of cufflinks, perhaps the regal Panther with a palladium finish or one with a dragon motif, to complete the look?

Sartorial desires aside, there’s also the whole works for those corporate warrior days. Case in point? A fine selection of leather document holders and briefcases all stamped with a discreet Cartier monogram. And a Roadster pen to ink that mega deal. But our choice pick goes to the Cartier poker game set in a red and black marquetry wood-decorated box for those gentlemen-only nights with single malts in hand. And there are more enticing indulgences that warrant a visit. After all, a dose of retail therapy could do well for the global economy too.