GRAVITY KAT

"SEISMIC CALLIGRAPHY"

2011-12-21T23:58:00.001-05:00

Todd Selby x Christine Sun Kim on Nowness.com.

Cult photographer and filmmaker Todd Selby's latest short is a revealing portrait of performance artist Christine Sun Kim. Deaf from birth, Kim turned to using sound as a medium during an artist residency in Berlin in 2008, and has since developed a practice of lo-fi experimentation that aims to re-appropriate sound by translating it into movement and vision. "It's a lot more interesting to explore a medium that I don't have direct access to and yet has the most direct connection to society at large," says the artist. "Social norms surrounding sound are so deeply ingrained that, in a sense, our identities cannot be complete without it." Selby filmed an exclusive performance from Kim in a Brooklyn studio as the artist played with field recordings of the street sounds of her Chinatown neighborhood, feedback and helium balloons, and made “seismic calligraphy” drawings from ink- and powder-drenched quills, nails and cogs dancing across paper to the vibrations of subwoofers beneath. Working with sound designer Arrow Kleeman, Selby carefully choreographed the film's ambient score to reveal the Orange County native's unique relationship with sound. "Her work deals with reclaiming sound because it's a foreign world to her and one she's not comfortable in," explains Selby. "I wanted the film to act as an artistic conduit for her to tell her story to the world.”

Meet Ilona Royce Smithkin

2011-12-04T23:51:00.000-05:00

yohji

2011-11-22T15:51:00.000-05:00

YOHJI YAMAMOTO: THIS IS MY DREAM from Huge Conglomerate on Vimeo.

Ethnic Minority Textiles - Miao of Guizhou, China

2011-10-23T21:04:00.004-04:00

I'm just going to put this here for now. Some information about the Miao, from Minnesota Institute of Art's flickr page:

The Miao are one of several ethnic minorities living in the
subtropical mountainous areas of southwestern China. Different groups
include the Dong, Yi, Yao, Shui, Bouyi, Li, Gejia, and Bai among many
others. For thousands of years, these migrating peoples have developed
rich, cultural traditions and they are increasingly being recognized
for their extraordinary handcrafted textiles and silver jewelry. It is
the area of costume where mythology, technical skill, and cultural
identity coalesce in vivid aesthetic expression. Until recently, most
of these remote, ethnic villages were relatively isolated from the
majority Han Chinese population. China’s rapid modernization, however,
has penetrated even the minority districts of Guizhou, Yunnan,
Guangxi, and Guangdong provinces. The resultant economic, educational,
and social changes have already begun to erode the look and use of
traditional festive costumes worn by the Miao and other ethnic groups.

I'm thinking about making a new blog on textiles and design but I'm still researching/trying to think of better things to blog about. so keep an eye out for that.

I Hate My Collection

2011-10-16T00:59:00.001-04:00

I Hate My Collection - 1st TEASER from Markus Nylaander on Vimeo.

let's make this film happen. more on it here.

きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ

2011-09-07T21:48:00.001-04:00

spring did not happen this year.

2011-05-31T01:46:00.005-04:00

I want to wear this everyday (if I moved to a cooler climate). it is my exact color palette. seriously considering getting my hands on a pair of those slingbacks.

"Please Vote For Me" (2007) dir. Weijun Chen

2011-05-26T20:14:00.006-04:00

perhaps a microcosm of people's perception of democracy and the voting process through the eyes of a group of Chinese third-graders.

by the way, I found this via a Wholphin dvd set, just as a personal note to myself and any other interested people to check out the rest of those jawns.

ULTRA 10

2011-05-20T18:59:00.004-04:00

I wonder if I could do something like this.

A 10-piece wardrobe project for one year.

But, in order to further project the idea ofminimalist living, I'd have to get rid of all of my other clothes. That's something that was off for me about the Uniform Project. Even though the same dress provided the basis of her outfits for a whole year, she wore different clothes, shoes, and accessories every day. I think I read that those were all donated but I don't know about that..

Anyway, it's definitely something to consider.

Green Porno

2011-05-18T22:12:00.002-04:00

I love her.

Melancholia

2011-05-16T12:03:00.003-04:00

this looks kind of interesting. it is written and directed by Lars von Trier, who also did Dancer in the Dark with Bjork.

Marianne... Renoir

2011-05-13T14:36:00.004-04:00

illustration by ree*rosee

Pierrot Le Fou is my favorite Godard film for a number of reasons, but let's talk about Anna Karina's clothes. for someone who was on the run, she sure had some good duds. I really enjoy this illustration by ree*rosee (who also does a bunch of other fashion illustrations with references to cinema!) as a color palette for the summer.

2011-05-11T14:54:00.004-04:00

a title from my list of books to read:
Terrifying Muslims: Race and Labor in the South Asian Diaspora by Junaid Rana

might I direct you here to read an excellent interview with the author about the politicization of the Muslim body.

and related to this, threadbared also posted a link to photographs by Shadi Ghadirian that I think are fantastic.

2011-05-11T14:29:00.005-04:00

my first thought today was the possibility of my being a masochist.

are you affected by self-defeating personality disorder?
do you:

choose people and situations that lead to disappointment, failure, or mistreatment even when better options are clearly available
reject or render ineffective the attempts of others to help him or her
following positive personal events (e.g., new achievement), respond with depression, guilt, or a behavior that produces pain (e.g., an accident)
incite angry or rejecting responses from others and then feels hurt, defeated, or humiliated (e.g., makes fun of spouse in public, provoking an angry retort, then feels devastated)
reject opportunities for pleasure, or is reluctant to acknowledge enjoying himself or herself (despite having adequate social skills and the capacity for pleasure)
fail to accomplish tasks crucial to his or her personal objectives despite demonstrated ability to do so, e.g., helps fellow students write papers, but is unable to write his or her own
is uninterested in or rejects people who consistently treat him or her well, e.g., is unattracted to caring sexual partners
engage in excessive self-sacrifice that is unsolicited by the intended recipients of the sacrifice

I am developing more of an interest in personality and emotional disorders, and with the upcoming graduation I will have a lot more time on my hands to do some reading.. so if you have any suggestions, let me know. actually, let's make this a call for any good reads/music/blogs/events/cuisines/adult classes/hair braiding techniques/whateva.

2011-05-10T23:49:00.001-04:00

&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.illthy.com/track/tifa-lockheart-heroine"&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Tifa Lockheart (Heroine) by Illecism&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

... yeah right!

a return to sunday thoughts, due to popular demand

2011-05-08T00:08:00.005-04:00

nights and weekends (watch)

saudade (read)

these explain everything.

2011-05-06T15:09:00.001-04:00

YES

2011-05-05T20:32:00.003-04:00

strawberry shortcakes (2006)

Good Timing

2011-05-05T03:04:00.005-04:00

This is an excerpt from my journal that I wrote on April 18, 2010, 22:43:

I should be 'working myself to the bone' right now but I just re-re-re-re-etc-watched The Science of Sleep again and I just realized that I am Stephane Miroux. maybe you're really fucked when you are at the point of reading IMDB discussion boards for life advice but this one 'really spoke to me.' from thegrue:

[I think the Science of Sleep is about being let down and the realities of the search for love and meaning in life... it's about building up images of things and people in your mind only to set yourself up for rejection. Stephane does this with everything in his life... he trusts his own mind instead of what he sees in front of him and he keeps getting let down by the reality of situations. whether it's with his job (which he dreams a certain way but in reality is nothing like what he wants) or his love life.

Stephane is originally more interested in Zoe but finds himself having to compromise and go for Stephanie because he thinks she is more interested in him. then he starts to convince himself that Stephanie is really the right one, building up this image of her in his head as somebody who is much more creative, deep, and in need of encouragement/stable love than she really is... and then he's consistently let down by her the more he learns about her... and the more he starts to realize that he was never so much in love with the actual Stephanie than the one he had built up in his mind. then that last scene, he becomes defensive and childish because he wants to place all his bitterness on Stephanie for the tricks his own mind played on him. I took the last dream sequence as his one last attempt to dream up what would be the perfect ending for the relationship he had wanted but wasn't meant to be.

I think one of the reasons why Science of Sleep didn't get better reviews when it opened was that people were fooled by the dream sequences and the style into expecting a flowery and dreamlike movie, when in reality the message of the movie is really rather realistic and more depressing than anything.]

Speculation says that the Science of Sleep is somewhat autobiographical for Michel Gondry. how does one feel like this and channel it into something so beautiful and so comprehensible? I always feel so crazy and like no one could possibly like me if they knew this side of me. you empathize with Stephane though. I guess pain makes very good material for art. and pain in the very fit form of Gael Garcia Bernal doesn't hurt either.

and now I'm writing this part on may 5, 2011, 3:19: it is funny and tragic that one year later I have landed at the same exact spot. I have not been at this spot the entire year, but perhaps just half of it. happy anniversary, feelings. you can go fuck yourself now.

It's that time of year again..

2011-05-02T12:25:00.015-04:00

sun is shining, flowers in bloom, love in the air, and CULTURAL APPROPRIATION OF "OTHERS" seem to be some kind of contagion, particularly in warm weather. It is of great interest to me how brands like Free People and Anthropologie keep bringing back that "Indian Summer" theme every year (both Native American and from India). The most recent Anthropologie catalogue is set in India.

For most fashion catalogues of this variety, the models get to travel to different countries to model the brand's clothes. In every image, they seem to use the background of native people as props [appropriation] to further emphasize the tallness and whiteness of the main model. It is a bit unsettling to me. What exactly do these clothes have to do with India? Furthermore, the company and its advertisements seem to promote a kind of well-rounded and conscious lifestyle (the Anthropologie woman can look chic even while travelling in a third world country!), but there is never any semblance of interaction with the native people, so what exactly is the point of having them in the photo?

I'm not saying that fashion has to be a political thing or that you can't wear clothes that don't "belong" to your culture. It's iffy territory, I think because clothing as something that you can change in and out of so easily is not necessarily considered a very vital part of cultural identity, outside the realm of religious or ritual regalia (even this is not altogether recognized, as evidenced by the number of hipster heads adorned by Native American headdresses at summer music festivals). Personally, I think it is really dumb when white people wear dreads, for instance, or when they wear a bindi on their forehead or something like that. It's great that you are interested in other people's cultures but for something that has more cultural and historical significance, you better have a better reason than "it looks cool." I know that in the case of garments like the keffiyeh, harem pants, and even fabric that have used batik dyeing, people have appropriated it so much to the point that we don't even think about its origin, but that is the very root of the issue.

I might have posted about this before, but Yellow Apparel: When the Coolie Becomes Cool is an excellent film about this very topic. Look, I'll even embed it for you.

yellow apparel: when the coolie becomes cool from Yellow Apparel on Vimeo.

shitty-chic

2011-04-23T19:52:00.003-04:00

This is from my new favorite blog, Talking Barnacles. It makes me feel better about my likely situation post-graduation. shitty chic, baby.

...Yesterday my bank account was down to one hundred and twenty dollars, but today it shot up to one thousand because of my tax returns. On top of that, with the freelance work I did this month and all the publicity of T.B., I have another month’s rent and living expense covered so I am basically in the clear for the next two months, which is great. I can eat something besides tea and two slices now… But in a way, looking back at it all, I kind of liked the hunger pains and the lack of energy that I felt everyday. I was kind of miserable then, but at the same time, it made me feel like I was at war with the world. And when you are at war, you don’t need anything – because you have a mission and a point in life – which, basically, is what anyone ever really wants.

Now I am sitting in a café writing this after I found out I had money in my bank, which for me being in a café by yourself and spending five bucks on a drink instead of on food to keep you going is a luxury… and I am ashamed because when you are at war, you don’t drink soy tea lattes.

But the struggle against earthquakes, radiation, unemployment, my parents, and society is basically over and I can’t deny it; and I feel like a vet at the end of a bad war movie going back home and not being able to adjust… or maybe it’s the opposite and I am adjusting too well, growing fat and dull and dim-witted when I just want to keep fighting dead enemies, whom now I view fondly like old friends.

War (not necessarily the one with guns) may be miserable, but at least, for once in a person’s life, it makes them feel like they had actually lived and, just as important, had something to say... Bob Dylan’s best work no doubt was when he was fighting the man, and when he had finally stopped, his work became shit. And that’s my biggest fear…

TINKER POT

2011-04-20T18:48:00.001-04:00

TINKER POT
TINKER POT
TINKER POT
TINKER POT
TINKER POT
TINKER POT
TINKER POT
TINKER POT
TINKER POT
TINKER POT

ナイスの森

2011-04-17T22:53:00.005-04:00

Funky Forest: The First Contact

A: show me your dance moves.
B: show me your feelings!
A: what feelings?

Free Ai Weiwei

2011-04-16T02:37:00.001-04:00

Who's Afraid of Ai Weiwei?

Between the Folds

2011-04-12T21:52:00.003-04:00

I watched this today in my fibers class with eyed peeled, mouth open (granted, I saw a life-size origami Hachiko at the cherry blossom festival this weekend and thought that was pretty neat). I thought it was cool that many of the artists featured had or had had careers in the science and mathematical fields. Anyway, it's available on Netflix instant play.

One of the people in the video (I forget his name but he apparently started university at age 12, got his phd at 20, and was the youngest professor at MIT) talked about how the act of folding paper changes the memory of that piece of paper. I really like this idea, of a fiber's memory, which is something I started thinking about when I was researching shibori dyeing for my last project. I used a book called Memory on Cloth: Shibori Now by Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada as my primary source and found this quote to be especially useful:

Shibori recognizes and explores the pliancy of the textile and its potential for creating a multitude of shaped-and-resisted designs. When the cloth is returned to its 2D form, the design that emerges is the result of the 3D shape, the type of resist, and the amount of pressure extended by the thread or clamp that secured the shape during the cloth's exposure to the dye. The cloth sensitively records both the shape and the pressure; it is the "memory" of the shape that remains imprinted in the cloth. This is the essence of shibori.

Streets Dept

2011-04-04T17:21:00.005-04:00

Apartment Complex vol. 4

Thanks to no. 18 for the tip on Philly photo/fashion/street art blog, Streets Dept. All of his featured Philly apartment photos and Becky's talk of dream houses, makin me itch for a nicer place than 733... one day.

Patrick Tsai

2011-04-03T22:54:00.007-04:00

My Little Dead Dick

Modern Times

I really liked Patrick Tsai after reading his 7-day diary that he kept during the earthquake and subsequent events in Japan. His writing led me to his past photo projects, most notably My Little Dead Dick. It's not anything new in terms of subject or style. He's 29, he just got laid off, and in a recent post on Talking Barnacles he wrote about how his parents have no idea who he is but seem to disapprove of everything they do know about him. well, this sounds like what I may have ahead of me.

Girl Kat

2011-03-30T13:20:00.003-04:00

Help Japan part II

2011-03-25T11:30:00.003-04:00

I was reading this article on Tofugu about how there is no room for more funding towards the Japan disaster relief. This means that the amount of money that has been donated specifically towards the relief efforts has far exceeded the amount requested by the Japanese. So some organizations may use part of the donations towards other causes, unless the donations were earmarked specifically for Japan, in which case the money is not necessarily being used effectively because they seem to have more than they know what to do with. I think it's great that so many people are doing what they can to help in terms of monetary donations. I myself have donated, but at this point there seems to be other ways to help. This may be easier for those living in Japan at the moment, but for those of us here, Jason Kelly is asking for donations of new pairs of socks for the many who are currently homeless as a result of the quakes.

Yohji Yamamoto

2011-03-24T01:56:00.002-04:00

via mermaidhair

must see this!

Sentenced Home

2011-03-23T15:28:00.006-04:00

this past weekend, I went to an event at Asian Arts Initiative about the deportation of Cambodian refugees from America. they screened a very pertinent and moving documentary film, Sentenced Home, which you can watch here. the tagline: "Raised as Americans in inner-city projects near Seattle, three young Cambodian American men are deported back to a country they barely remember, caught between a tragic past and an uncertain future by a system that doesn't offer any second chances."

it's not necessarily an issue that receives much attention in the media, at least not so much outside of the sphere of Mexico, so the film offers some very personal positions on the issue as well as provides information about US immigration legislation and how this has changed since 9/11.

Takashi Iwasaki

2011-03-16T16:22:00.006-04:00

Littlebonbon (2006)

Fishbonbon (2008)

Kazuteru (2006)

Isogashiyumekojo (2006)

Hohonashi (2006)

Harikmodome (2007)

Denshinhappa (2006)

a collection of inspiration for my next project. more from Takashi Iwasaki here.
they kind of remind me of the Maishima incineration plant in Osaka - designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser - to impress everyone when they were running to be the host of the 2008 Olympics.

"MOVE"

2011-03-15T03:44:00.002-04:00

"MOVE" Rachel Roy Spring 2011 film from Dominique Palombo on Vimeo.

clothes you can move in. to be honest, I was much more drawn to the dancing than the clothes but I really like this idea of showing the clothing form in movement rather than just walking down a runway. then again, I'm not usually into sportswear which is more suited to this type of display. maybe I am just buying into this new fashion film thing.

via Omoi

Help Japan

2011-03-13T18:43:00.003-04:00

Designers and artists are quickly coming up with ways to do their part in helping Japan. James White of Signalnoise creating this heartbreaking, minimalist poster. All profits made by the sale will be donated to help with the relief efforts there. Signalnoise also lists several charitable organization where you can donate. via Signalnoise Store

reblogged from tinyatlas

sci-fi

2011-03-03T16:27:00.005-05:00

2046 (2004) dir. by Wong Kar-Wai

I'm a Cyborg But That's OK (2006) dir. by Chan-Wook Park

some films I'd like to see. 2046 is supposed to be sci-fi but Cyborg is a romantic comedy I think.

happy v-day

2011-02-14T16:57:00.002-05:00

indulge me

2011-02-11T11:15:00.005-05:00

L.D. Tuttle

Tokyo Bopper

shoes and pants are the items of clothing that I am most willing to spend a considerable amount of dough on. anyone who knows me in real life has undoubtedly had to suffer through my (continuing) gripes about the most perfect pair of pants that I destroyed last summer. I am still in the personal process of sartorial identity formationblahblahblah but I like things that I consider to be versatile. I think if and when you find the perfect pair of pants, buy two, three pairs! Even the best quality pants will eventually wear out in the worst places, so I think it is a good investment.

In the meantime, I will hopefully be getting my hands on/feet into those tokyo bopper ballerina platforms when my friend makes a trip to tokyo next month! as far as shoe care goes, I think it's important to find a good shoe repair place for heel tip replacement (is this possible to diy?) and re-soling. If you are in the Philly area, Dom is wonderful!

SCOPE | NEW YORK 2011

2011-02-07T12:31:00.005-05:00

p.s. I've been having issues publishing posts with images. what's the deal? other multimedia-heavy blogs that I follow seem to be functioning. I've tried different browsers as well as different computers..

Nikola Tesla

2011-02-03T22:23:00.005-05:00

Earth is a conductor of accoustical resonance..

Jack Shows Meg His Tesla Coil in 'Coffee and Cigarettes'

just snatched this movie up from a closing video shop, along with The Brown Bunny, The Life Aquatic, Alphaville, and Under the Tuscan Sun (score). As with much of Jim Jarmusch's work, this one does not really follow a script, there's no story. It's probably the worst acting I've ever seen from Steve Buscemi, whom I love unconditionally, but Bill Murray with RZA and GZA was a treat, as was Cate Blanchett vs herself. If I had netflix, I would rewatch Permanent Vacation..

Wool 100%

2011-02-02T14:56:00.007-05:00

I have probably posted about this movie before but I am particularly fond of fibers and the color red recently.

sometimes I feel like that weird girl in the red dress, 24/7.

2011-01-08T16:36:00.011-05:00

I don't know what it is but I find that in the past year or so I have become quite an emotional person. I would say that I am usually perceived as a kind of serious, darkly sarcastic person or something along those lines. Today was spent crying over an old episode of project runway (episode 10 of season 8). It was the episode where they had to design a textile inspired by a personal memory. Everyone got a surprise visit from their moms, which was super emotional, and Mondo, my absolute favorite from all the seasons, revealed at panel that he has been HIV positive for the past ten years, and I just lost it. It's kind of like when someone barfs near/on you and you just can't help but to barf as well. Lately when I see people cry, I feel like crying too or I at least get that tightness in the back of my throat and need a few moments to simma down. Maybe this means I am becoming a more compassionate person? doubtful.

♥♥♥
oh, and happy new year by the way. If you are reading this,
I probably love you too.

who would like to be a dapper gentleman?

2010-12-30T20:33:00.002-05:00

Streets of Japan

me!

les queues de sardines

2010-12-30T20:15:00.007-05:00

as an ardent fan of socks and hosiery, I felt most obliged to post these beauties, a pair of which Susie Bubble received this holiday.

check em out here.

2010

2010-12-23T03:15:00.005-05:00

favorite albums of 2010

The Jungle

2010-12-13T18:14:00.002-05:00

In 1967, a group of African-American teenagers in Philadelphia made a hybrid documentary/dramatization of their lives in the 12th and Oxford Street gang. In 1968, The Jungle, one of the first films in the US directed by youth detailing the inner workings of their own gang, went on to win the Documentary Film Award at the Festival de Popoli, Italy. (1967, 22 min)

-retumbled from Jon Bon

2010-12-09T17:02:00.001-05:00

my sentiments exactly

When Hainan Meets Teochew

2010-12-08T15:44:00.003-05:00

this looks interesting. It was directed by Han Yew Kwang from Singapore. Not only does one of the main characters identify as Teochew, but the main love story is between two transgender individuals. it opened on Dec 3 but is only being shown in Singapore. must find a way to watch it!

具が多い！！

2010-12-01T22:53:00.002-05:00

I really want a projector! not for this, although I probably would do this as well. currently I have a bunch of things going on with school. it is exactly one week until I am mostly free from schoolwork. after that, I do have one final exam then it is smoooth sailing into winter break.. it is dangerous territory to think about what I want to do once I get free time because then I won't want to do any work. but let's just say netflix is coming back and so is knitting! on a side note kinda, I have sort of been watching a jdrama called manhattan love story, my first drama. more on that later, but all you need to know is that there are fake moustaches, love triangles and other geometric shapes, a bit of engrish, tons of coffee metaphors and it is terrific. it is more a parody of a drama than a drama itself. you can watch it here.

by golly

2010-11-21T01:59:00.006-05:00

I absolutely do not need a new coat.

however, this one by jil sander for uniqlo is right up my alley.

new york, the next time I visit you, I may have to take a gander.

I am pretty sure that I felt this coat up last time I was there though..

Anastassia Elias

2010-11-17T17:24:00.001-05:00

craft in a roll of toilet paper. find more here

little dragon

2010-11-16T13:15:00.001-05:00

gorgeous.

automobiles with character

2010-11-13T17:23:00.004-05:00

found just around the corner from my house. these are a testament to the unintended contingencies that make walking in the city something I think more people need to take advantage of!

Vega Wang

2010-11-12T20:25:00.005-05:00

this girl is onto something.
credit for finding her goes to chris.

Noble Fibers

2010-11-08T11:41:00.009-05:00

BE LINEN MOVIE from Benoit MILLOT on Vimeo.

you've probably not spent much time thinking or caring about fibers, but just in case you are interested, this is a short about the production and qualities of linen. I love learning about fibers/fabrics/textiles.. one of the interviewees in the film says about linen, "I love this fiber because I believe in it." this is the ultimate goal, to truly know and believe in what you do, to completely give yourself in to it. to classify a material as noble.. I absolutely love that.

these are probably not linen-based, but I have been thinking a lot about the qipaos that Maggie Cheung wears in In the Mood for Love. I wouldn't mind revamping my wardrobe to one that is strictly qipaos, as long as they look [and fit] like these. by the way, Maggie Cheung is a babe.

more images from here

TUJ dayzzze..

2010-11-03T21:47:00.001-04:00

found this on TUJ's website the other day. can you find me? I'm the one that looks bored..
(see what I did there?)

Omar Souleyman

2010-10-27T16:54:00.000-04:00

November 3, 2010
Johnny Brenda's produced by R5 Productions
Philadelphia, PA

who wants in?

pump it

2010-10-27T11:54:00.003-04:00

The Cherry Blossom Girl

Jean Charles De Castelbajac spring 2011.

-

le Petit Prince était mon livre préféré lorsque j’avais 10 ans, c’était donc une sacrée ( et bonne ) surprise d’apercevoir le héro d’Antoine de Saint Exupéry sur quelques robes !

Et je rêve d’un ghetto blaster à strass maintenant …
a ghetto blaster? haha

坂本龍一

2010-10-22T14:38:00.004-04:00

this was the opening of Ryuichi Sakamoto's show, which was beautiful, eerie, intelligent, emotional, socially aware, engaging, humble, haunting, delicate, animated, seductive, stimulating, clean and simple, overwhelming, meaningful, necessary. no one clapped until the very end.

買いたいこと

2010-10-06T20:45:00.009-04:00

I love Tokyo Bopper! I can't remember if I have blogged about it before but it's still true! TB is a clothing and shoe store for men and women, located somewhere in Harajuku. I would have posted a picture of their map but I can't seem to find it.. I found their website/blog before I went to Japan and decided that when I did go, I would find their tiny shop and buy a pair of their signature platform shoes. So I have actually been to their store but I remember for some reason I was kind of intimidated and didn't want to ask if I could try on some shoes. Perhaps they were closing. Also, Japanese store employees are verrry attentive to their customers, which is great, but it always made me nervous. Anyway, in case I don't go to Japan again anytime soon, the good news is that they now have an online shop, international shipping available!

Oh yes, and this is Yama. She works at Tokyo Bopper. You have probably seen her on a bunch of streetstyle blogs because girllll you got style! That's probably another reason why I was intimidated when I went to the store.. *swoooon*

oh, is it terrible that I am procrastinating on writing a paper about capitalism and inequality by blogging about expensive shoes? oopsy poo

blahblahblah

2010-09-20T22:15:00.003-04:00

i've started thinking about my first words of each day. sometimes it is not until later in the day that i see a living being that i want to interact with. that moment of opening my mouth for the first time is a strange feeling and a very conscious one, sometimes i can still taste my morning breath. this weekend i have to work on my media deprivation paper. that means i must not consume media. this is a difficult task seeing as i live in a city. i would really like to go to the woods for awhile, catch up on some reading. i would consider bringing the cats with me.

Act da fool

2010-09-09T13:13:00.003-04:00

from Style Bubble

rebellious spirits

2010-09-01T14:39:00.006-04:00

Rei Kawakubo + Yoko Ono

I will never be this cool.

By the way, I apologize for my infrequent updates [oopsy poo]. I am pretty much all moved in and finishing up my first week of classes, although I am still looking for jobs so posts will continue to be few and far between. I am currently reading a book that Jon borrowed from the library entitled 'Skin + Bones: parallel practices in fashion and architecture.' It's pretty rad and if anyone would like to shell out the $165+ for it for my upcoming birthday that would be nice.

Sunday, Aug 8 2010

2010-08-07T23:55:00.013-04:00

Lots of things going on tomorrow:

1. I am moving again!
2. Michael Rother (Neu!, Kraftwerk) + Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth) + Aaron Mullan (Tall Firs) + Benjamin Curtis (Secret Machines, School of Seven Bells) play the music of NEU!
3. Philly Alternative Comic Con at the Rotunda.

Ben Curtis, it has been far too long.. *swoooon*

2010-08-05T02:30:00.007-04:00

Hannah K. Lee

Always.

2010-08-04T02:31:00.002-04:00

Hey, anyone wanna get this for me for my half birthday? Cool, thanx.
In all seriousness I plan on trading in my dslr for this thing. Am I crazy or what? Forgive me, Nikon..

2010-07-31T02:40:00.000-04:00

Nobuyoshi Araki, Guatemala sinkhole, ?, Louise Richardson, Julia Solis

"He was going to die soon, you knew when you saw those eyes. There was no sign of life in his flesh, just the barest traces of what had once been a life. His body was like a dilapidated house from which all the furniture and fixtures have been removed and which awaited now only its final demolition. Around the dry lips sprouted clumps of whiskers like so many weeds. So, I thought, even after so much of his life force had been lost, a man's beard continued to grow."

-Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood.

Fishtown

2010-07-28T23:15:00.002-04:00

on a whim

2010-07-24T18:29:00.006-04:00

Ji and I drove to ny last night around midnight. We got there at 2 and left at 5, and that jawn was still bustlinnnn.

A Yoshinoya sighting had us reminiscing about our (separate) Nihon dayzz..

Justin Bieber in McDonalds. I only found out recently that his name isn't Justin Beaver, which is a shame really.

Our last act in the big city was getting our portraits done. We both stared into the eyes of this Chinese man for half an hour a piece. Things got pretty intimate.

Currently I am listening to the latest from Autolux and preparing for the punk rock flea market. I hope to see you there tomorrow!

Phenomenon

2010-07-20T16:04:00.003-04:00

PHENOMENON FALL / WINTER COLLECTION 2010 from PHENOMENON on Vimeo.

I love everything about this. another re-blog from Susie.

bad brains

2010-07-19T22:04:00.003-04:00

I'm starting a drawing habit. This is Miwako from Paradise Kiss. She is totally punk.

solitude

2010-07-19T00:13:00.007-04:00

I have pretty much been living in seclusion this whole summer but there is something that is just so soul-draining about the suburbs. After reading Kafka on the Shore, I decided I would really like to live in seclusion for awhile, in the woods or something, with just my books and my thoughts. maybe the book only helped to realize a goal that has always existed. At the moment, this goal cannot be accomplished so I must settle for an indoor fortress made of twine and a patchwork of bed sheets.

In other slightly related news, I've been thinking about becoming a farmhand in France or someplace after I graduate, invaluable experience for an aspiring alpaca farm-runner. I'm not quite done with the city just yet but I think a change of scenery would be nice.

gris

2010-07-17T01:09:00.007-04:00

today I got a bit sunburned at the beach and visited the Jersey Shore house and ate a fried oreo.
now I wish to sleep.

bonne nuit, mes petites amoureuses.

La jetée

2010-07-13T21:48:00.010-04:00

"This is the story of a man marked by an image of his childhood. The violent scene which upsets him and whose meaning he was only to grasp years later happened on the main pier at Orly, Paris Airport sometime before the outbreak of World War III."

"Nothing tells memories from ordinary moments. Only afterwards do they claim remembrance, on account of their scars."

Chris Marker - La jetée (1962). images from here.

The story is set in Paris post-WWIII and follows the time travel experiments performed on one of its survivors in an attempt to "call past and future to the rescue of the present." The film utilizes voiceover narration layered on top of photographic stills (shot by a Pentax Spotmatic). The gaps between these images is reminiscent of the comic book form in which the audience must imagine the connection/transition between the frames.

Perhaps it may seem like a step backward to utilize what is essentially a slideshow during the time of the proliferation of the medium of film, but I think Marker (who also did Sans Soleil) very effectively and beautifully followed the dictum of letting the message dictate the medium. What this short film accomplishes in 28 minutes is amazingamazingamazing!

If you have netflix, it is currently available on instant play. Watch it!

And while I'm handing out prescriptions on what you should be watching/reading, but on a completely unrelated note, head on over to Style Rookie and read her post on teenage body image as projected by mainstream media. This girl is sharp.

Claudine Doury

2010-07-12T00:57:00.006-04:00

Claudine Doury via Tiny Toadstool. Makes summer look oh so lovely.

Pack rat

2010-07-10T18:10:00.011-04:00

I don't think it's just Chinese people, but all the ones I know come from families of pack rats, my mom being the worst of them. Song Dong had an installation piece at MOMA awhile ago called 'Waste Not,' showcasing a collection of objects that his mom had collected over the past 50 years.

Lately I have been thinking about hoarders' logic and I happened to find Raina's Infinite Garage Project. Basically she has inherited everything in her parents' three-car garage, and the blog serves to help document her findings, memories, nightmares about the garage.. She is also selling some of her finds, which include lots of themed sweaters.

I've always joked about opening up our basement as a thrift store, but when I brought up the idea to my mum about having a yard sale, I was met with a suspicious glare and a resounding No.

"The Dungeon," as my dad, sister, and I used to call it.

I guess this strong connection to stuff comes from growing up with very few possessions, at least in my family's case. The acquisition of these objects signifies a certain level of 'success.' So my desire to minimize and organize, well the minimizing part anyway, struck a chord with my mom. Forunately, the Punk Rock Flea Market is happening on July 25, and I've got a table with Hannah. I will be selling some old clothes and shoes of mine, so please come 'round if you're in the Philly area. In the meantime, I found this wig in the basement and had a sleazy photo shoot (in the bathroom, predictably).

I am thinking about cutting the wig short a la Scarlett Johansson in LIT. Oui ou non?

Norwegian Wood

2010-07-08T01:10:00.007-04:00

sEEP! Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood has been adapted into a film, to be released in Dec 2010 in Japan. I haven't seen a trailer, but here are some screenshots. Rinko Kikuchi, I just want to put you in my pocket.. you too, Matsuyama san!

Aha! and Johnny Greenwood (of Radiohead) is doing the soundtrack!

Supernova Girl

2010-07-06T09:33:00.002-04:00

via Jackee

concrete jungle

2010-07-04T13:12:00.009-04:00

(I admit it, I love empire state of mind.) So my sister and I ventured to ny yesterday, Manhattan and Brooklyn specifically. I made an itinerary and everything. We got shepherd's pie for lunch at an Australian place called Tuck Shop. After refueling, we did some shopping in SOHO (Uniqlo!). Apparently the Kardashians were at Topshop when we were there. Here is a conversation that the pop-culture conscious Carol and I had.

"Who are the Kardashians?"
"Uh.. they have dark hair?"

Then we had our first taste of MACARONS at La Maison du Chocolat. They were a lot smaller than I had imagined. Here is a picture of me next to some macarons to give you a sense of scale.

So navigating around Manhattan was a hitch but sadly Brooklyn was kind of a bust. It was only my third time there so gimme a break. First we tried to get to the Brooklyn flea market and we couldn't find it. Instead, we settled for smoothies at Bklyn Crepe and Juice bar, which were DELICIOUS! I had a blueberry/coconut/ginger smoothie. It was spicy and tangy and everything good, and even though it turned my teeth purple and seedy, I luuurrrved it. I also had a box of blueberries for breakfast on the bus over. Trivia(l): As a child, I was allergic to blueberries. I guess I'm not anymore.

Then we went to the Brooklyn Museum for a free night of activities. We found it without a problem but the lines were decades long (who knew so many people liked free stuff?) so we stayed for an "electropop" act for bit, then headed back to Manhattan for dinner. Korean BBQ!

There were lots of really young girls who were totally into this band. Strange, as this was a lyric that I caught: "Give it to me, give it to me slowly. It's a small motion explosion." Here are some other interesting things I heard yesterday:

"Sorry, I'm not a hotdog girl."
"I wanted to breastfeed him tonight but I was wasted."

I feel like I'm getting much better at navigating through ny. I saw an otherwise "cleancut" boy wearing bright red lipstick. Korean boys were trying to charm my pants off. Someone called me a fairy on the way home. All in all, a day well spent.

Vivre sa vie

2010-06-30T10:23:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite scenes of all time.

Critical Fashion

2010-06-28T22:04:00.007-04:00

If you have any time and are at all interested in consumer ethics, "critical fashion", or the history of the Urban Outfitters/Anthropologie/Free People chains, then I would highly recommend reading through this article. It's seven years old but still extremely relevant.

The article is about Richard Hayne, the founder and president of Urban Outfitters + associated chains (all of which opened in or around Philadelphia). Perhaps you have heard allegations about the working conditions at UO, sweatshop labor, or its blatant ripping off of independent designers. The article seeks to point out the contrast between the stores' aesthetics and the consumers that their products are marketed towards (young, hip, liberal people) with the man at the top, apparently a square who has also been known to be a staunch supporter of "Paleolithic right-wing Republican [former] Senator Rick Santorum." Santorum has made comments equating homosexuality with incest, pedophilia, and bestiality. When Hayne was asked his opinion on the subject, he responded:

"I'm not going to comment on it. I have my own opinion, but I am not going to share it. Our job as a business is not to promote a political agenda. That's not what we do. There are all kinds of political views held by my employees. Some would be horrified to learn that we contributed to Santorum's campaign, and others would be fine with it. We openly discuss and joke about our political differences."

I can agree with him here to some extent that it is not necessary for a business to promote some political agenda, whatever the agenda may be. However, when the products promote sexism and racism then politics becomes necessarily involved. I know it is completely unrealistic to even begin to believe that consumers are making a conscious political statement through where and how they shop. Only a very small percentage of people are conscious of or even care about/would take the time to research where the products come from. I'm not saying that you should swear off buying from big brand stores (afterall, who wants to buy used underwear?) or that you should eat whole organic foods and buy a hybrid car, but I do think it is important to consider all the options out there, because these options are so much more readily available now than they were even just a few years ago.

Also, please check out these wunderbar blogs, which brought this very issue to my attention and have also inspired me to write more "meaty" posts.

à l'allure garçonnière
Fashion for Writers
threadbared

Huggies® Jeans Diapers Hit the Streets!

2010-06-28T19:43:00.001-04:00

hahaha this is awful.

Here today, gone tomorrow, so don't get attached to things.

2010-06-27T22:43:00.008-04:00

Hal Ashby - Harold and Maude (1971)
screenshots from here

Hair Hair

2010-06-24T17:50:00.004-04:00

Watching Wristcutters: A Love Story and then wishing I could be reborn as Shannyn Sossamon makes me want to get a haircut again. But then I think about the possibilities of long hair and accept the fact that I will be that chic old Asian lady with short purple hair one day, so I think the time for long hair is now..

At the Vélodrome

2010-06-22T20:23:00.007-04:00

Moncler Gamme Bleu Spring/Summer 2011 Runway from LAT Videos on Vimeo.

An interesting presentation of an interesting collection inspired by cycling, presented at the velodrome in Italy. I don't really know how to critique men's fashion as I can never see any boy that I know wearing anything from the runways, but sometimes I can see myself in the clothes? Something I keep seeing more of on the runway is the leggings under shorts thing. I think Asian men are really the only ones who have any chance at pulling this look off, but even then..

Source: Style from Tokyo

outfit post no.1

2010-06-22T15:22:00.007-04:00

hat: gift from Grandma
tank top: Tsumori Chisato, thrifted in NY
skirt worn as top: JMS, shop in Shimokitazawa
yellow skirt: Breeches, vintage borrowed from Mama
shoes: Vivienne Westwood x Melissa

I have no intention of turning this into a fashion blog or making these outfit posts a regular thing, but this is what I wore yesterday. For the past few months, I've been trying lots of different things in an attempt to introduce more creativity into my life. Currently, I am trying to find inspiration from my childhood by reading all of Roald Dahl's books and dressing colorfully. I am always at a loss for what to wear in the summer. So I like to keep it interesting by wearing skirts as tops or dresses, tops as skirts, scarves as tops, underwear as outerwear, shoes as.. hats.. I dunno.

In other news, my dear baby sister has graduated from high school! Here are the Ea/Ly girls in all their glory...
& just look at all those shiny badges, oooh..

GOOD LORD (as Allison K. would say)

2010-06-20T18:49:00.005-04:00

Oh stop it, Susie Bubble..................

Samantha Brooke

Graduate Fashion Week at Central Saint Martins makes me cream myself a little bit, especially the knit bits. In case you wanted to know. Gaaah why didn't I go with fibers/textile design? Oh right, I haven't a shred of talent. But I do love it ever sooo much. I meant to post awhile ago that I finished my first pair of knitted shorts. I'm helping my sister with a photo shoot soon so maybe we'll kill two birds with one stone and I'll model the shorts then and show them off to all you loyal readers. In the meantime, I think I may just watch The Science of Sleep again and do some mindless knitting. It will never get old, but I really do need a new knitting movie.. BECKY?!

Born-again bather?

2010-06-19T17:01:00.012-04:00

(Aya Kanai in The Selby)

There must be quite a few things a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them. Whenever I'm sad I'm going to die, or so nervous I can't sleep, or in love with somebody I won't be seeing for a week, I slump down just so far and then I say: "I'll go take a hot bath..."

I lay in that tub on the seventeenth floor of this hotel for-women-only, high up over the jazz and push of New York, for near onto an hour, and I felt myself growing pure again. I don't believe in baptism or the waters of Jordan or anything like that, but I guess I feel about a hot bath the way those religious people feel about holy water.

Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

To be honest, I've never had a relaxing bath. I tried once in a tall, cramped bathtub in Japan and then I decided to give it another shot this morning after reading this passage, and probably also because I was feeling a bit hungover. Becky called me later to fill me in on the art of bath-taking. I think she should write a book.

Kabuki

2010-06-18T17:55:00.002-04:00

Kestin introduced me to the series about two months ago after our conversation about the "quarter-life crisis." Sometimes I am very melodramatic, but no matter. The first volume was published in 1994, so I'm a bit late on this but it came at the most relevant time. I read the most recent volume, The Alchemy (2009), first. The author described this volume as "specifically designed to be Kabuki’s new life. And it is essentially an instruction manual on creating a NEW life, creating the life of YOUR OWN PERSONAL DREAMS AND INTERESTS that should be practical and applicable to anyone who reads it. It is a recipe and blueprint for creating your own reality, your own career, and your own fresh start. It is a spell for creating your own magic. Taking the baggage of your life and turning it into something positive and useful; turning your garbage into gold."

Okay, reading that back to myself, I feel like Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation when Bill Murray finds her Meaning of Life tapes. I admit that there were many instances in this book that were really fortune cookie-ish and completely self-serving and indulgent for the author himself. But, that being said, I agreed with many of his ideas about internal transformation as a form of coping and growing, the necessity of self-reflexivity in order to get to that point, drawing inspiration from your childhood, the importance of creating and keeping your mind active, and just the realization that nothing is stable. I think perhaps even more inspirational than the verbal messages was the form and layout of the graphic novel ("The medium as the message!"). Mack used a lot of different media to illustrate his story and convey his messages. The whole thing kind of just looks like a big collage, although some of the volumes (the ones in which he collaborated with other artists) utilized the traditional graphic novel form. Anyway, I totally dug it and can see it becoming a regular source of inspiration to me. If you get a chance, I would highly recommend you take a look at it.

(click to enlarge)
(you won't regret it!)

Film scans

2010-06-16T16:11:00.016-04:00

I found some more film from Japan/Ardmore/Philly/New York that I failed to develop so here is a taste. You can see the rest here and here. And my apologies, there were many that came out blurry.

Baldovino Barani

2010-06-07T21:43:00.009-04:00

source: Avant-garde Photography

Best editorial I've seen in awhile. The fashions are nice but the location is much more interesting. Browse through the photos while listening to Olafur Arnalds and the experience will be so perfectly creepy. Also, it looks like I've blogged about Barani before, on another editorial entitled The New Puritans.

A lot of his projects seem to have religious undertones, at least in their titles, but usually I can't make the connection between the photos and the concept that the titles might convey. I find myself feeling this way about most fashion editorials, so it becomes easier to just look at the clothes/styling in order to garner a strictly aesthetic appreciation. But I really wish we could become more concept-driven in our fashion. Stuff like this really cheese me off. If you don't want to click on it, it's an editorial by the same guy called The Missionary, featuring two Western models, one of whom plays the character of the "exotic Other." There is a concept and a story behind the clothes, sure, but the romanticizing of colonialism and the generalization it makes about non-Western/non-Christian people blahblahblahpsychobabble.. I guess what it comes down to is that I am really bored with fashion today, not that my own fashions are particularly inspirational/original.

Exit Through the Gift Shop

2010-06-02T00:06:00.007-04:00

I just watched this today with my sister. It's a film by Banksy, the UK graffiti artist who was responsible for this and these:

click to enlarge

source

If you haven't seen it, it's not about Banksy exactly, but more about Thierry Guetta, the guy who provided much of the footage used in the movie of his documentation of street artists for over the past decade probably. I would definitely recommend seeing it. Also, right outside the theatre, I saw this knitted gem
.

STELLA

2010-05-31T22:44:00.003-04:00

All I've been up to lately is eating good food (quail, shrimp cocktails, lobster & toast, and bbq!) and watching Stella. So things have been pretty good. Stella needs to make a comeback!

I want you so bad

2010-05-29T16:07:00.011-04:00

Rocking horse shoes, as made popular by the gothic lolitas

Vivienne Westwood

Susie Bubble in the Vivienne Westwood/Melissa collab Hermes

Vivienne Westwood/Melissa

R.I.P.

2010-05-28T22:46:00.004-04:00

LOST! I can't believe that I have followed this show for six years, since the pilot. I always thought it was very well-scored, so here's an interview with Michael Giacchino, who writes the music for Lost.

edit: He also did the music for Up! and a few other Pixar movies. and GARGOYLES!

Summertime!

2010-05-26T14:55:00.004-04:00

not officially but it sure is hot out. Ji is back from her year in Nagoya and we're all going on a picnic and sippin on wine in the park. Maybe that last part is just me. Enjoy the weather and this old picture I found! (when I become famous, you may use it as blackmail)

rockabilly

2010-05-25T21:20:00.009-04:00

goin to a rock/rockabilly/psychobilly/gothabilly-themed birthday party. All I know about rockabilly style is from what I've seen on Sundays at Yoyogi, and in Cry-Baby. Here are some inspiration hair fotos though. Too bad my hair is far too short for this.

source

Great Day

2010-05-23T13:12:00.000-04:00

I've been feeling like this lately.

but not for the same reason.

humanmetrics

2010-05-17T22:36:00.002-04:00

I'll do a proper post tomorrow but for now, let's take a look at my results for the Jung typology test. I am the INFJ, 'Idealist' type, and my most suitable career is Counselor. Basically, "all Idealists seek to have a life of meaning, to help themselves and others grow to be the best that they can be. They do not want to be a copycat of someone else, but want to be seen as a unique and valuable individual."

and about Counselors:
"Counselors have an exceptionally strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others, and find great personal fulfillment interacting with people, nurturing their personal development, guiding them to realize their human potential. Although they are happy working at jobs (such as writing) that require solitude and close attention, Counselors do quite well with individuals or groups of people, provided that the personal interactions are not superficial, and that they find some quiet, private time every now and then to recharge their batteries. Counselors are both kind and positive in their handling of others; they are great listeners and seem naturally interested in helping people with their personal problems. Not usually visible leaders, Counselors prefer to work intensely with those close to them, especially on a one-to-one basis, quietly exerting their influence behind the scenes."

Cool. What's your type?

お誕生日おめでとう！

2010-05-02T12:56:00.004-04:00

Happy birthday、Sean san!　Remember that time we went to Tokyo Tower?

America America is killing its youth

2010-05-02T00:17:00.001-04:00

M.I.A. - Born Free
ginger genocide?

GRAVITY KAT

"SEISMIC CALLIGRAPHY"

Meet Ilona Royce Smithkin

yohji

Ethnic Minority Textiles - Miao of Guizhou, China

I Hate My Collection

きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ

spring did not happen this year.

"Please Vote For Me" (2007) dir. Weijun Chen

ULTRA 10

Green Porno

Melancholia

Marianne... Renoir

a return to sunday thoughts, due to popular demand

Good Timing

It's that time of year again..

shitty-chic

TINKER POT

ナイスの森

Free Ai Weiwei

Between the Folds

Streets Dept

Patrick Tsai

Girl Kat

Help Japan part II

Yohji Yamamoto

Sentenced Home

Takashi Iwasaki

"MOVE"

Help Japan

sci-fi

happy v-day

indulge me

SCOPE | NEW YORK 2011

Nikola Tesla

Wool 100%

who would like to be a dapper gentleman?

les queues de sardines

2010

The Jungle

When Hainan Meets Teochew

具が多い！！

by golly

Anastassia Elias

little dragon

automobiles with character

Vega Wang

Noble Fibers

TUJ dayzzze..

Omar Souleyman

pump it

坂本 龍一

買いたいこと

blahblahblah

Act da fool

rebellious spirits

Sunday, Aug 8 2010

Fishtown

on a whim

Phenomenon

bad brains

solitude

gris

La jetée

Claudine Doury

Pack rat

Norwegian Wood

Supernova Girl

concrete jungle

Vivre sa vie

Critical Fashion

Huggies® Jeans Diapers Hit the Streets!

Here today, gone tomorrow, so don't get attached to things.

Hair Hair

At the Vélodrome

outfit post no.1

GOOD LORD (as Allison K. would say)

Born-again bather?

Kabuki

Film scans

坂本龍一