oh my.

makes the world go round

My homepage is Drudge Report, a website that has international news reports from columnists and news sources all around the world wide web. It takes a little while for my Firefox to load, and usually I barely skim the headlines before logging into my Gmail account, however, today I opened my eyes as wide as I could and read some news articles concerning 'our' global recession. 'Democrats want financial aid for the auto-industry,' 'Will Europe ever have an Obama'...I felt like I was in a different universe just by reading these articles. So much of it has no direct effect on my everyday life here in Japan, and it all seems a bit surreal. Is it because I'm a fashion design student, not a political science student? Is it because I hang around with ex-patriots or seemingly aimless travelers, not salary men or corporate lawyers? Quizás, Quizás, Quizás.

I came across one article that I could empathize with. Emirates see fiscal crisis as chance to save culture. This past summer I flew with Emirates to go to Kuwait, and that's what caught my eye. Dubai is the new definition of ridiculous, in the sense that businesses are running wild with their money. Now that there is a global recession, development is slowing down, and the people of Dubai can reflect on the rapid change that has occurred during the past few years. Focus. Is most of it just a novelty for the public, obsessed with greater and grander things? What can globalization do for any country if their culture dissipates and becomes rejected by newer generations? There are parallels in modern Japanese society, no? If Japan were to have remained an isolated country, would we have Nintendo? The temples and simple harmonious rock gardens in Kyoto are only tourist attractions now, they charge you to get in. What happened to the innate culture that was Japan, and does it have any relevance now besides as a once a week judo club meeting with classmates? The traditions aren't lost, but they have been disfigured like chewing gum; blown, and popped, and eventually spit out. Can Dubai keep face?




I think not.

Thierry Mugler, an anecdote

I once tried on a dress by Thierry Mugler at a store in Daikanyama called Eva. It's a select shop, a term I heard first used in Japan, meaning a store with hand picked items: vintage Versace silk blouses, jewelry from Columbia, plastic plates from 1960's America, limited release records and books...you get the point. The stores are usually small, and are run with a staff of one or two people, maybe the majority of the items are the store owner's own private collection, or, possibly, it's their hobby...because these stores are hidden in residential areas, or on the third floor of a building, the merchandise is over priced, they don't advertise, or ever go on sale, I wonder how they stay in business... Anyhow, there are many many select shops in the Nakameguro area, and Eva is one that has vintage designer women's wear. It stocks vintage Hermes silk shirt dresses, vintage Hanae Mori, remade ethnic embroidered pieces, etc. The store owner, Seiko, gets her inventory from online dealers, and stockists, but she keeps her stuff, the good stuff, in the back. This is how I came upon an incredible dress by Thierry Mugler. It was short sleeved with a seam down the middle of the shoulder that curved in an 's' shape, and pointed out a little at the end. It had a wing collar with a snap, and there was a keyhole opening in the front that went down to the bust, just so when you move your shoulders a little bit, you can see some décolletage. The snaps continue down the front until the waist, and the back had some draping, but the dress was fitted from waist down (a really nice silhouette that makes your bum look yum); the length was below the knee, and with a slit in the back. It was forest green, and the material was a stiff, thick worsted wool that could really keep it's shape. so. very. modern. I wriggled into it (realizing later there was a side zipper), put on a pair of pumps, and when I stepped in front of the mirror, it was as if a distinct part of my personality had manifest itself in the reflection. The fit was more than amazing; front, side and back. It was the most stylish suggestive dress one could hope for. It was demure, but the geometrical detailing and cut could not go unnoticed, even to the goggle-eyed chihuahua in the arms of the mistress standing next to you in an elevator. I mean, it had a tenacity, unlike any other dress, that could translate in all languages, and could substantially change your life. This is what I want to make, superficial clothes. The dress wasn't for sale, and that's fine by me. I just wanted to see what I looked like in it.

no sleep

I forget where I found this site, but it's got music and nice images (repeats some, a lot, actually). I've been yearning for a new mp3 player recently, portable music player, whatever. My ipod is first generation, and doesn't work unless it's plugged in. An itouch? Perhaps an iphone?

I got the alaia sandals. I love them.
I think have a shopping problem...

what a feeling, every time.

I went to a thrift shop the other day, in Ebisu, and they had the Azzedine Alaia black wedge sandals in my size. I can't stop thinking about them. I'm crazy.
It's a treasure, it really is, and the way I think of it, is that it's a once in a lifetime chance to make these shoes mine. How rational, I am.
How did the proprietor of the store come to acquire such a magnificent pair of shoes? How can she stand to put them up for sale?
This store also had an Imitation of Christ T-shirt from a couple years ago (actually, probably more than that) that had a barbed wire stripe pattern on it. I remember going into the Barney's in New York with my friend Jeanne, and she really wanted to get it. I was going to buy it for her, but I didn't have any cash, so I went back the next day, and poof, it was gone.
Of course whats holding me back is the price. The T-shirt, at Barney's was around $80, and at that store it was around $30. These sandals are around $300, yep, but they're in near pristine condition when they would have cost $600...and they're my size...
I've never felt deprived in my life, maybe because I come from Larchmont, but when I saw those shoes, oi vey.

If the complicated things in life could be simple, and the simple things complicated, it would be 'A Je To!'

My Friend, Sam

"I get it."
-to be said in a disappointed, uncomfortable and aloof tone after a joke is made.

Sam came to To-ki-o! He stayed at my place. I basically shoved all my belongings into one half of the room, and spread out some sheets in the other half. It was pretty compact, as is Japan, but during his stay I thought, "Hey, maybe two people can live in my teeny, tiny room." (roughly, 6 tatami mats; roughly, 12 square meters; roughly, 130 square feet). My reasoning is as follows:
Sam came with a backpack and two suitcases: a big one packed with clothes, some equipment and cables for work, and a small one filled with dirty clothes...Yep, his entire wardrobe, laptop, Nintendo DS, his hard drive, etc. Since I had school, and for the second week he stayed, he had work, we weren't spending all day everyday together, it was really as if we were roommates, each with our own schedules. Also, I think about the other roommate situations I've had, living in a triple at Lander Hall when I was at the UW, sharing a room of similar dimensions with Marilia, in Shinjuku, all a person really needs is a place to sleep. However, a person also needs (excuse the banality) a place to call home, and my home is comprised of clothes. A little while ago on Style Bubble, Suzy posted a picture of (all?) her clothes.


I believe that her 'size of room' to 'amount of clothes' proportion is almost equivalent to mine. I mean, I imagine. Must find better storage unit. Scratch that, must get a storage unit. Beside me now is a bundle of shirts, a chair of dresses and sweaters, another chair of skirts, coats hanging on the wall, laundry by my feet...you get the idea. But I just cringe at the idea of bringing more furniture into my room. If there would be drawers and closets built into my wall, that would be great.

I went to my grandfather's house today and brought back a bag full of old silk that was used for my great grandmother's kimonos. Long strips of delicately woven, slightly sheer silk. The colors are still rich and vibrant, and the texture is so crisp, it reflects the light beautifully. I wouldn't mind opening the door to my room and having long bands of it hanging from the ceiling, and waves of it rolling around on the floor.
I guess when it comes down to it, I'm just the most comfortable surrounded by fabric. But then again, aren't we all?
"...I get it."

utter negligence-June

I had a small birthday gathering at Combine, a restaurant/cafe five minutes walk from Nakameguro station. 'Chill' I think would be the best word to describe it. Big windows that face the tree lined Meguro River, cozy couches, a bar/counter, a dj booth, and a whole wall filled with books: photos by Man Ray, a discourse on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, A rebours by Joris-Karl Huysmans (all in Japanese, mind you). We ordered natto fried rice, pizza, and avocado tempura, all of which was delicious. (Speaking of avocado, up until recently, the vegetable stand down the street from my house was selling six for roughly a dollar. Avocado mixed with tofu, sesame oil, salt, pepper and soysauce...bellissimo.) My friends brought a cake and lit some candles (pre-dinner) and it was lovely, really, really lovely.

The thing about Combine, though, is that the staff can be a bit...discouraging. Friday, Saturday's it gets pretty packed. That night we went early and there weren't too many people, but then the guy who works there puts a sign on the door that says 'sorry private party from 10pm'. My friends and I stayed past 10 and, let me tell you, there was no private party going down. They open at 11am and I guess they'd prefer to close at a reasonable hour, but people want a nice place to hang out at night, not a loud thumping club or a cramped smoky bar, and I just wish they wouldn't go so far as to lie about some party to keep people from coming.
Right?


From Vogue Italia The All Black Issue July 08







Inspired by
Vogue Italia The All Black Issue 08

whoa

Video using the mac OSX Leopard desktop by a digital filmmaker named Dennis Liu.
After a while you don't know what you're watching.

sweet soft charlotte

I finally got to take a look at the Paris Vogue from winter with Charlotte Gainsbourg. She cited Bertolucci's "Last Tango in Paris" as the movie she has seen with the most erotic scene. The interview goes on to talk about her own body image, and I'm sure it gets much more personal, but the lingo was a bit difficult, being in French and all, and my studies from high school allowed me to grasp just the tips of her long tousled hair. I got a rough idea about the contents of the magazine: sex, or perhaps sexuality (it is the French edition after all).
She intrigues me. I saw her in "The Science of Sleep" and "I'm Not There". She's so beautiful, no doubt about it, but that soft airy voice, and that long matured face...I'm ignorant, I know, but there's something about her that is hard to put my finger on. Maybe because I can't make a direct or indirect correlation with her to any other person I know, celebrity or not. Maybe because her personal sense of style seems so different from what she wears at various events. Maybe it's because she seems separated from high fashion, yet she's Nicolas Ghesquiere's muse. I'm anxious to see more of her work, that's for sure.

Here she is for Very Elle magazine.






Or, do you prefer...



Both are amazing.

On a side note, Charlotte's picture reminds me of my friend's mom, Tracy Burtz's paintings, no?

the book

catalog, actually. for neiman marcus, actually.
a long long time ago, in a (now) far away land, there was a fairy tale themed photo spread with little children dressed in luxury and innocent decadence. These reminded me of that.













Eugenio Recuenco Photography


Then I searched for those long lost and forgotten photos and discovered they have created a pop-up book.





And though my quest for those darling photos was in vain, I came upon this youtube video.



Slut (the end in Swedish)

my tokio

Taken tonight at Shinjuku station with the 3.2 mega pixel digital camera on my phone. An advertisement for OIOI, a department store.
'smoking in the rain, a cigarette butt grows and grows, raindrops, tobacco, crumbling'

The legal age to smoke and drink in Japan is 20, and everyone does. They're quite eco-friendly about it, but so naive about tobacco and nicotine, it's hypocritical in some ways. For example, every few hundred feet, you'll find big bright vending machines for cigarettes, sometimes two or three in a row, and any kid who can reach the buttons can buy a pack. There are select areas all around the city and inside buildings for smokers: by the train station, next to a convenience store, at school it's by the staircase, smoking sections at restaurants, office buildings have smoking areas, even on the train platform there's a smoker's area, and an allotted time to smoke (generally non-rush hour). However, as per the photo above, we have this sign (covering a big ash tray), with beautifully written prose to stop people from throwing away their cigarette butts, and there are similar signs all over Tokyo. Walking and smoking is not permitted in most areas, and many stores sell cute and practical hand held ashtrays (and every so often I'll see someone using them). They're worried about where all the cigarette butts will end up, whereas in the States, every single box of cigarettes sold will tell you you're going to die. I suppose the Japanese emphasize community, and building a more beautiful dwelling. Americans, on the other hand, concern more about their own health and well being. I wonder which one costs more money, which is more effective. In the states they have commercials to keep adults and kids from smoking. Those anti-smoking truth campaign ads, some give me the shivers, but some are clever and cute. Effective? I suppose. I've seen a few ads on the train here, not necessarily anti-smoking ads, but 'get yourself checked for lung cancer before it sneaks up on you and it's too late' ads. They look very wordy and pristine, and they change the train advertisements so often, so its effectiveness is dubious at best. But then again, people live long healthy lives here. I guess what I'm trying to say is get rid of the vending machines and save some energy...at least.

I thought it was funny. They're florida grapefruits.

The last two photos I also took with my phone, but using my phone camera not the digital camera. Why have two cameras on my phone?...just having that option makes me feel...free.
(excuse the sarcastic undertone, goodnight)

an advantage

So, sex and the city premieres in London. No sweat off my back, but it doesn't seem to make much sense. I mean, it is sex and the city, right? and by the city, they do mean New York, right? let's not get into it. But I'm happy to hear some of the reviews here
i heart sex and the city.

The advantage, you say?! (not really an advantage unless you take it), I'm in the future! I just realized I could be the first to post about so many things, and this happened when I went online today and saw the fresh headlines for the sex and the city movie premiere (of all things). I noticed this before on my google reader, updated items for the sartorialist and the style bubble popping up only seconds after scott and suzy click on 'publish post'. But, of course, it's not really true, and this is not really important. The article is posted and then I post about it, and already, I'm not the first. It's the world wide web, an afternoon in one place is an evening in another, and the following day over here, and all at the same time. It's almost like the converse of the time/space continuum. no space. no time. (I don't know what I'm talking about).

I was walking around Nakameguro with a friend today, and we were looking for a store, ilil, but we couldn't find it, so we check on the internet with her phone, in the middle of the street! Does that not reek of the future?! She has a very slick phone from softbank. It's a slider, huge screen with a touch sensor, and can go widescreen just by putting it on its side, and when you shake it it becomes a 3.2 megapixel camera, you can watch tv on it...and the list goes on.
hazah!

hardly recognizable

I also like it because it makes her looks like a clown/harlequin, as opposed to most of her other fashion spreads where she's dressed in null and a bra. And, I have recently become very fond of Miu Miu...and Sonia Rykiel (not pictured above).
My friend gave me this magazine, she's such a sweetheart. It costs 2678yen, roughly 26dollars, in Japan, and 5pounds, 10dollars, in England. Hey, Japan is expensive, and we all gotta make money somehow, right, Sienna?

I saw 'factory girl' a while ago. Downloaded it, and it was all right, but she was not very good in it. The movie is just coming out here in theaters, lagging much? I saw her in that 'Cassanova' movie at my friends house. He downloaded it. I wasn't disappointed, only because I didn't expect her or the movie to be that good. Heath Ledger played Cassanova, oh, Heath, such a tragedy. This weekend I was sick and I saw 'I'm not there' (and 'The Phantom of the Opera' 'Always' 'My Blueberry Nights' and 'Chinatown') I don't think I understood all the elements of that movie, but I love Michelle Williams. I mean, what was Richard Gere and Billy the Kid all about? I guess I'll have to read a biography on both of them, the Kid and Dylan, that is. But I did love the songs they chose, 'The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carol' 'When the Ship Comes In' 'The Times They Are a Changin'.' Good soundtrack...in a...Forrest Gumpy kinda way. My classmate likes the soundtrack to 'Coyote Ugly'. I know, 'what soundtrack?' right?
good night
xx

series a: refine antiquity

Magazine: Vogue Italia
Issue: March 2008
Title: "Individuallure"
Model: Freja Beha Erichsen
Photographer: Paolo Roversi

I love the lighting and the grainy quality of the photographs. Are they black and white photographs? I don't know, but a single hue need not be present.

Contrariwise, I'm making a shirt for my next school project, which will be bright and floral and summery. Will post pics.
xx