cannot even

in times of chaos, a need for some semblance of order emerges. 

in times of personal anxiety and uncertainty, a similar effect takes place in terms of sartorial choices. 

recently, i've taken to dressing in ways that allude to a more uniform state of being in response to the utter helplessness i feel like my life has been spiraling into for pretty much the entirety of this year so far. other than drawing and writing obsessively into the early, delirious hours of the morning, personal styling is a bit of a coping mechanism.

if i can't control where my life is going, at least i can control what the hell it is i put on my body and how i choose to put myself together. it's a fragile illusion of safety to be sure, but it helps at least a little bit... other than putting on some empowering music on really ear-thrumming volume, anyways. 

my brain right now looks like this:

which apparently results in this

off-duty "school uniform": J.W. Anderson x TOPSHOP jumper // TOPSHOP lace blouse // UNIQLO denim // Giles x HappySocks socks // Madewell tap oxfords (customized)

army of one: TOPSHOP Unique mix-fabric shirt // Y-3 tote bag // COMME des GARÇONS shorts // Dr. Martens 8-hole boots

ps i got new glasses (MASUNAGA is the make^) that look rather old-world and inspires an imaginary nostalgia which is rather nice because it lets me escape for a bit

tell 'em that it's human nature

i'm not really into music but... i'm a huge Michael Jackson fan.

this song is my first real musical love, and i think it laid down a solid foundation for what it is that i look for in an artist now - creative conviction and generosity. 

not just in music, but in any field that serves as an influence on how i continue to build my own creative identity.

in the in-between

Beau in "Studs" by Nick Knight at SHOWStudio

PUNK IS DEAD

i'm in a bit of a rut, dear reader.

i've recently read several pieces in which Nicolas Ghesquiere reveals his reasons for leaving Balenciaga, Rei Kawakubo expressing (very frankly) the problems of corporate control in fashion and a statement from Riccardo Tisci saying something similar. as a still-aspiring creator, i have been feeling immensely discouraged and "angry at the system", so to speak. mediocrity is thriving and it just seems like with each passing day, passion and truth in any form (at least within the fashion scope) dies a slow, painful death. 

this leads me to some angry, extremely discontented thoughts on the latest Met exhibition - PUNK: Chaos to Couture.

ANARCHY IN THE UK: The Sex Pistols

i don't consider myself a punk by a long shot - i'm not nearly as brave or as angry or raw (although i rather wish i was). 

but the thing about something as incredibly pure as Punk is its raw honesty in expression. it was a brief, bright cultural flash of youth and rage and rebellion that has become to heart-wrenchingly romanticized in a nostalgic haze. having said that, that is exactly what makes it so inspirational to begin with. so while appropriation runs rampant in fashion especially and will not stop anytime soon, this exhibition is shaping up to be far too sterilized, monetized and a shamelessly decadent bastardization of the movement.

i feel like this exhibition has stolen and censored everything that was beautiful and honest about Punk.

what was even more disheartening was when there was confirmation of such things. the curator himself, a self-professed prep (and looks it, too), proudly states something akin to "we are interested in punk as an aesthetic, not an ethic." 

i wanted to hurl.  

Punk died a whole new death as those words were uttered. 

reading about these criticisms were about the same time election results in malaysia were announced and needless to say, what a black day indeed. i broke out a lot of the black that lived in my cupboard. 

in spite of all the doom and gloom of anything with a soul dying and the false idols who replace them leaving an awful taste in my mouth, i have to believe that there will be a moment of rebirth, or at least that there would be at least a few who would carry on being true. 

the perfect examples would be the people who supply most of the black and "punk" things in my cupboard.

long live the last of the true fashion punks!!

The Godmother of Punk: Dame Vivienne Westwood

The Original: Rei Kawakubo

"The spirit of punk lies in not ingratiating oneself to to preordained values nor accepting standard authority." ~川久保 玲

when i choose to wear their brainchildren, i like to think i can at least feel and hopefully exude a bit of the rebellious spirit they try to keep alive. 

i'm not a punk; i'm not brave or outrageous or full of anger at the world. but it makes me feel like i can be stronger if i feel like i can be. 

TOKYO RUNWAY☆

how do i begin to describe the pure, undiluted, girl-driven fashion fest that was 「TOKYO RUNWAY」。。。？

it was made by girls, for girls. completely and brilliantly unapologetically so. 

the event was held in yoyogi stadium on the 20th of march that ran for the whole day. it is open to the public, but tickets often sell out quickly online. i'm likely to keep reiterating this, but this was FASHION FOR THE PEOPLE in its purest, pastel-coloured, candy-flavoured self. mothers were there with their daughters, there were groups of friends, couples, business partners - all were present and accounted for.

attendees were greeted with goodie bags from the various sponsors of the event, and additionally lured in with celebrities, idols and music acts. 

idol worship: Yumemi Nemu 「夢眠ねむ」 &  Mogami Moga「最上もが」

models as celebrities: ViVi model Lena Fujii

the runway shows, which were speedy, hefty, heady in their execution, the models are celebrities in their own right within this realm; they wink and smile and wave, all while perfectly coiffed - not a single hair or lash out of place. 

the brands that showed wholly embodied aesthetic singularity as a brand strength. the cuter brands dripped with saccharine sweetness and the edgier ones with airy, trendy confidence. as the brands were the point of the entire display, the clothes were almost like costumes as the models cast for each brand showing took centre-stage. each niche was clear and the audience responded appropriately. guest models from China and Thailand were also on the roster. their look and feel were so similar to the local girls' that the shared aesthetic allowed for a seamless, cohesive show.

"Once you have reached your audience in Japan, you don't need anyone else."

"Don't feel sorry for their lack of international presence, the girls and designers can live off the love they get from those at home!"

it still rings true; the devotion and excitement in the air in the stadium was positively intoxicating. 

east in the east

please be considerate of others.

can't you tell i love everything about this poster?

i wish these were everywhere in my current part of the planet...

anyway, i happened to be in 東京 during Japan Fashion Week. by some ridiculous measure of a rather new friend's generosity, i managed to catch a few shows while i was there!! Vivienne Tam was the featured international designer this season, and it proved to be quite the experience.

「　SAVELOVEGIVE　」

from the entrance to the interior, everything was quite aptly drenched in red light. Vivienne Tam's signature is an often seamless play between modernity and antiquity as reflected in her Chinese sensibilities. everything was impressively cohesive; from the projected graphics on loop to the music choices and lighting.

sidenote: plenty of beautiful fashion kids who take selfies that of course turn out gorgeous because they are gorgeous people. the variation in conversation leaves plenty to be desired, but the anxious maelstrom churning inside my chest cavity at the time calmed a bit when my ears picked up on conversations taking place in a colloquial mix of English and 日本語。

the audience absolutely lost it at the sight of 冨永 愛 「Tominaga Ai」- who is arguably the most famous supermodel export out of Japan, and with good reason. she is neither of flirty winks and cheeky grins akin to Victoria's Secret Angels. instead, her aura is strong, silent and incredibly cool. メッチャカッコイインだ。

the show opened with purposefully worked, feminine sportswear. the palette was an exercise in restraint, in shades of rich scarlet and tangerine accented with sharp black and white. abstract, marble-like prints appeared to originate from Vivienne's own handwriting. the pieces were easy to love - an easy balance of clean, tailored lines, print, and chic proportions. 

the collection took a decidedly almost military turn; the prints faded away to black, displaying only the sumptuousness of the fabrics and ease of tailoring. stunning, painstakingly handcrafted pieces des resistance finished up the show. displaying a mastery of fabric combination, cutouts (that seem to originate from Chinese characters) as well as tailoring, the stark contrast of red, black and white only serve as emphasis. 

overall, however, the collection was held together with a very chic punk feeling. the models strut down the U-turn runway with quiet confidence that radiated with even quieter rebellion. the clothes, however ladylike they felt, did not ever fall into saccharine. the shapes helped to reflect this balance of opposites, calling on traditional pencil silhouettes juxtaposed against oversized outerwear which would look far more at home on the streets than in a fine restaurant.

おめでとう、Vivienneさん！このコレクッションはほんとうにきれいだ。

who run the world?

girls!

fashion month (new york > london > milan > paris) is a whirlwind of lots of ideas and even more clothes. there's not much i can say that has already been said about the fatigue that the overwhelming variety of designers bring, other than a lot of it is doomed to become noise. in fact, i haven't been paying much attention to the shows as i used to but there were a few that still captured my attention and even fewer had me swooning, hand to forehead and all.

as fashion month steadily draws to a close, i'm really pleased that most of my favourite collections this season are notably produced by women. in an industry based on a supposedly feminine pursuit, it does rather pain me a bit that the most celebrated designers are in fact, men. especially when i tend to disagree about some of their design choices and execution. 

alright, enough of my moaning. let's look at amazing clothes instead.

COMME des GARÇONS: The Infinity Of Tailoring

i think it goes without saying how much of a raging fangirl i am for the high goddess of fashion, Rei Kawakubo. watching her collections show each season is like watching her build a most irreplaceable legacy and empire behind for all other mere mortals of fashion to follow. 

her latest collection is aptly titled "The Infinity Of Tailoring", and what a rigorous, tremendous feat of exploration it is. with the sharp panache typical of Kawakubo's design aesthetic, some looks are splices (swatches???) of traditional tailoring fabrics that are sewn back together in what first appear to be haphazard Frankenstein monsters that resemble jackets, trousers, and the like. upon closer examination, however, the assembly is purposeful and notably impeccable; each "swatch" placement lending just the right amount of volume and movement. 

others are lengths of said fabrics twisted into never-ending 3-dimensional swirls on the body, like snakes curling up and metamorphosing into clothes. 

others appear to be tailored clothing literally come to life, growing themselves extra sleeves or dimensional knots and sneers - details that should overwhelm and strangle the bodies they encompass, but somehow don't. 

if the sheer majority of the collection didn't leave the viewer giddy, the kaleidoscope/rainbow/floral printed rendition of the looks that closed the show would most definitely do the job. splendidly. what a triumph!

/edit: the stunning psychadelic prints are reinterpretations of works by Dan Michiels, an obscure artist that Kawakubo again seems to have plucked out of nowhere! trust her to shine a light on undiscovered talent. bless!

Céline.

i'm completely convinced that Phoebe Philo coming to Céline after her maternity leave in 2010 was the last real revolution in fashion. lauded for bringing strength and simplicity back to the forefront of fashion's vocabulary, Philo is the reason for minimalism's prevalence in fashion at present. her work wiped the excessive, pre-recession fashion plate clean and welcomed back a quiet chic that had been gone for so long.

of course, it brought about what i like to call The Age of The Camel Coat that never seemed to end, but Fashion seems to be cautiously optimistic now, reawakening its escapist roots once again... if the more fun, graphic looks at Céline this season is any indication. 

Philo is an expert at colour-blocking with her masterful, neutral seperates for Céline; so the delight of her plaid "laundry bag" looks were an even more welcome punctuation in the middle of an otherwise serene collection. 

she demonstrates once again a profound understanding of the needs of the modern woman. the clothes are simple, straightforward but with just enough of a playful twist to keep them from veering to boring. she knows how to process her influences well, as is reflected in the first look on the left, pictured above - there's a whisper of COMME des GARÇONS Spring/Summer 2012 in the faux sleeves and oversized pockets. 

this was another undeniable, irresistible success for Philo, sure to create a frenzy in her already devoted fanbase. who else, after all, could forgive the furry sandals from spring/summer? pre-fall was enchanting and inspired, though. 

Vivienne Westwood: Look back to look forward

a punk to the end of her days, Vivienne Westwood is an institution. for this coming autumn/winter, she proposes a collection full to the brim with ancient inspirations brought to the present and future. essentially balancing a myriad of influences to produce a chaotic collection of questionable cohesiveness is something only the Grand Dame can get away with doing.

i can wholly admit there were moments that made me furrow my brow in confusion (they mostly involved shoulder pads), but the looks struck a chord with me, they struck deeply. 

one of my best friends describes my style and aesthetic preference as "rich hobo" which... still sounds about right to me. i love the look of dishevelment, of destruction, unfinished-ness and ease... rendered and finished expensively. this is especially relevant to my love for this collection. i feel that it reflects a kind of worldliness and explorer's spirit that is in love with history, but living in the present.

Westwood is one of those designers who are all about telling a good story with her clothes, walking the line between costume and ready-to-wear. and she executes it with aplomb. the collection features a heavy use of metallic jacquards and custom printed silks, but my personal highlights are her intarsia knits and trademark experimental draping and proportions. most notably, the insane tulle petticoat look on the far right, above, which appeals very much to my inner Disney princess.

- - -

fashion month isn't over yet, so this post is likely to have a sibling. i hope to be pleasantly surprised by the end, though i usually am perfectly satisfied having seen my favourite designers' work revealed already.

i'm having some thoughts on the relevance of fashion weeks being city-specific. aren't clothes just clothes, at the end of the day? i mean, one can only go on and on so much about how each city has their own ~flavour~ but really. do they? i don't know, it's just a thought. 

black crows and peacocks

"fake it till you make it" has been my mantra since i was about 15. 

i've since learned how to edit myself quite carefully in public spheres... because no matter how much i pretend to be otherwise, i think i'll always be the highly sensitive child i remember being way back when. 

making the decision to start a ~fashion blog~ is one i've been deliberating for a few years now, and have only acted on it now because i feel like my confidence level is at a point that it can take the inevitable hits now. i used to devour other people's fashion blogs ravenously, finding one after another constantly inspired me because it was like having an entire collection of muses at once. 

my collection has since been re-curated, and now i follow much fewer blogs (and their bloggers) that have maintained ~*quality*~. 

one such blog is Style Bubble. 

Susie.

Susie Lau needs no introduction in the world of fashion blogging. she is a splendid kaleidoscope of a fashion enthusiast whose wardrobe is as diversified and enchanting as her text. i came across this post which linked me to the original article by Suzy Menkes of T magazine, which essentially bemoans the general ridiculousness of street style stars/bloggers who lurk about outside show locations during fashion weeks in New York, London and Paris, starving for attention from street style photographers.  

essentially, i read it as an Old Institution refusing (or is too slow) to learn and adapt to this brave new world in which anyone, and i mean anyone, with an internet connection and is somewhat/arguably articulate in stating their opinion can work their way into an industry based on elitism and exclusivity. 

nostalgia is the most selfish but the most human indulgence, and Ms. Menkes went to town with it in her article. this is all fine and good, but the fact is that the state of fashion now is its monster growth is rooted in its democratization. the very moment this beast called Fashion decided that it would appeal to the masses, the snowball was already rolling itself down the hill. everyone wanted a piece of the pie and the fact is that the internet made it possible. or, at the very least, it creates a most convincing illusion of accessibility being possible. 

with the fact being what it is, the grown-ups of the industry need to learn to play nice and quit reinforcing the awful stereotype of fashion people being nothing but uptight elitists who can gush and coo over fabrics and silhouettes among themselves and not truly, sincerely, welcome anyone new (and therefore new ideas/thoughts) into the fray. 

Fashion was my escape from the terrible, mediocre people who occupied the population of my secondary school years. it invited me in, telling me i could love odd things and those influences could be made fun or beautiful or thought-provoking... or all of the above. i fell in love and i still am, but it is things like this that makes our relationship a tumultuous one. 

/as a side note, i think it certainly has to be said that street style has existed and thrived long before Scott Schuman was around to tarnish it with his incessant egoism and so-called "high taste". but that argument is a whole other post.