Sunday, September 30, 2012

face-fixing.

so here are some pictures because i've had all of today free and i've been able to record my outfit for the day. it's all about the lips and the tie dye lyf. there's kind of that morning-after-the-show feel running through the afternoon, punctured with light from my window and cup after cup of coffee.












bowler hat, ebay / sunglasses, ragstock / vintage shirt, thrifted & modern / shorts, bdg / lipstick, urban decay

i finished all of my work on thursday and friday, so i had most of the weekend to both get ahead on work and go into the city to shop around and pick up some cool-weather clothes. the thing is, i ended up returning home with a small list for the internet and a smaller bag of purchases because i felt so uninspired by the clothes i found in my size, i hardly bought a thing. i walked around countless name-brand stores and just looked-- the crosses, the spikes and studs, the ankle booties, the flag prints, whatever... it's getting boring to me. i want new combinations, new, new, new, always, and it propels me forward and forces me to revert back to what i already have and just accessorize from there.

i just ordered a hat and a piece of jewelry off of etsy, and i'm keeping an eye out for one really interesting sweater, and then i'm DONE. i have so many layers, and i'm actually really pleased with my wardrobe. wisconsin and the internet have served me well.

till next time,

music: armistic (rac remix) -phoenix

Sunday, September 23, 2012

a stirring.

this past week, i looked through photography books in the campus library to try to find something that interested me, to find some inspiration outside the internet, for a class assignment. i thought i was looking for a fashion photographer by definition-- patrick demarchelier, annie leibovitz, mario testino-- but i came across a book called tribe, a book of photographs by hibiki kobayashi, that had image upon image of different people from different disappearing tribes. there was more than an amazing emotional connection through the eyes of the subjects, there was also a quality to the images that i likened to an editorial or beauty shot from a glossy magazine. there were piercings and gauges, makeup and clothes, that i might expect to see inspiring a vogue-like shoot on grunge-punk chic or the newest "tribal" look for summer. i liked it.

and that's when i got a little bit irritated and confused, and i didn't know what to do, because instead of photographing these people in their homes, this photographer chose to place them in front of a white background. like a glamour shoot.

the last picture i really paid attention to was a photograph of a young girl with a large hoop in her nose and a bindi on her forehead, wearing a floral print dress. i really could have just described half of the hipster kids in existence. but is that wrong? i've heard that it's acceptable to wear a bindi if you receive one from a hindi woman, i've heard that it's never acceptable to wear one unless you're hindi, and i've heard that if it makes you feel beautiful, you should wear one, because it's a beauty piece just as as well as it's said to protect against bad luck and many other things.

the same goes for all the hype that surrounds images like thisthisthis... the list goes on. it seems like a bunch of overprivileged kids outside of their own culture, maybe even sexualizing other cultures, being offensive.

i even get nervous when people ask me about my religious inclinations every time i wear a circle scarf with the back part as a hood, since it looks like a hijab. where is the line, anyway?




AND, even if there is a line, should it be as heavy as most set it to be? i understand things like urban outfitters' stumble in naming some undergarments "navajo print," since that's actually a specific tribe of native americans (whoops), and i don't really like using "tribal print," either, but when can people borrow from other people for inspiration? when is it respect and when is it just a matter of people not being able to share?

i'm not even sure where i stand on this topic, in the end. i'm just starting my interest.

till next time,

music: 20 dollar -m.i.a.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

fashion/music/lifestyle.

as some of you might have noticed, i almost always close my entries with a little bit of music. i always listen to music when i write my blog. i almost always listen to music when i get dressed.

are people's individual styles influenced by the music they listen to on a daily basis? a weekly basis? or ever?

when i chose my outfit for today, i had nineties hip hop in mind. i actually woke up with the notorious b.i.g.'s hypnotize playing on repeat in my head, and i knew my day was going to be filled with high-waisted things, beanies, my trusty sneakers, and, you know... bling. i opted out of any acid washed denim jackets, bedazzled back pockets, and other mall attire in favor of a more sophisticated look, nodding towards biggie's flashy ways with a pendant and gold tank. i streamlined everything with two-tone tights, and an outfit was born.



tank, t.j.maxx / pendant, thrifted and modern/ skirt, ragstock / tights, ebay / wedges, deena & ozzy

this happens all the time, and i think that's a reason why my personal style changes between days. if i listen to some punk, i might throw on some creepers, and if it's ska, they'll probably be black and white. if i listen to dark electro, i might choose black milk leggings and a loose tank with deep armholes, something suitable for hula hooping. if i listen to cutesy indie music with harmonicas and ukeleles and some lilting girlish vocals, i'm probably going to dress like i came out of a pastel unicorn rainbow cloud... with a couple of studs and spikes, of course, because i am who i am.

or i might just throw all of that out the window because i don't follow my own silly fashion rules. but mainly, i get a lot of influence from music. does everyone else get dressed with music? music plays in stores, at fashion shows, and people get dressed up for music.

so what's the deal, everyone? how does music play a part in your fashion life?

till next time,

music: hypnotize -notorious b.i.g.

photos by jimmy don

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

art school beginnings.

the internet is terrible right now,
and i'll write a more constructed entry later.

for now, picture entry!
the music at the end is just a little something i found recently thanks to a dorm friend.














all for now,

music: stade 3 -mr. ouzo

Saturday, September 8, 2012

nyfw and stuff.

rachel comey, tadashi shoji, and kimberly ovitz, anyone?
those are the ss13 lines i've picked up on so far, and with homework and classes, i don't have much time to keep up on every single show that's come out, and i haven't had the time to compare and trendspot or anything, but i have noticed what i like and don't like. i saw a lot of short and long skirt lengths contrasting at rachel comey, appealing to my personal style, and lots of lace at both the comey and shoji shows. sheerness was at all three shows, which i always adore.

the ovitz show had lots of armbands and similar accessories, with thin, intricate straps adorning shoulders and necks. barefoot models lined the runway, which was covered in sand, reminiscent of times long past.

the last collection didn't seem entirely put-together, but it definitely seemed the inspiration for outfits to come for my personal style and likely for others in spring of next year.

i tried to get out and go to san francisco's fashion's night out, but i was way too tired to move my body that much, and i had class in the morning, so i'll have to wait another year. it just takes time.

anyway, i've been spending my time mostly in the dorm house and flitting between classes, trying madly to get my work done and to get to know my classmates and professors and everyone in between. my very last class of the week is photography, and i just got to work with a pinhole camera and a darkroom for The Very First Time! see the last picture for the final product. it's quite difficult to have a camera with no viewfinder, but i'm really pleased with what i ended up with. also, see the pictures below of me waking up before everyone else. this happens every day because i wake up between five and six in the morning now, and i look like a zombie, but i actually quite like it since i end up with quiet time to just drink my coffee and forget about things for a bit.




more soon,

music: tip of your tongue -porcelain raft

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

PANTHER.

i've been looking for ways to integrate myself into the student life of my school before it's really started, so what better to begin with than a mini shoot? i pulled together a couple of new friends, amy and yudie, and took some pictures. prancing around in trees with the light falling over our faces made us look catlike and bizarre, which i loved, hence the title of this post. we were wild children.






i have to run now to get ready for my first day of real class-- instead of the week of orientation i just tackled-- but i'll post again soon!

music: ready for the floor -hot chip