Ive been a busy bee with my fashion blog www.fashionbehindthescenes.com and have been neglecting my travel blog due too, basically, lack of travel. last week i ran around frantically interviewing people for various publications including hot new fashion website www.designerdirection.co.nz. the star of my interviews is kiwi designer Vicki Taylor and the collection review can be seen here http://designerdirection.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/taylor-spring-2009-collection-review/
the good/bad news is that in less than two weeks time I will be traveling again, the bad news is I will be traveling to Palmerston North on a one week internship. It is questionable whether this small town masquerading as a city will offer more than a rubbish dump named after John Cleese, but I'll reserve judgement till then.
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Friday, 10 April 2009
Journalism Hui
in a completly un-fashion related post -Ive had a cultural Renaissance this past week, on a journey all the way to west Auckland for a journalism Hui (meeting) with my new graduate diploma in journalism class. we spent 72 hours on a marae in west Auckland listening to endless speakers who included, the head of the human rights commission, editors from the western leader, spacifx magazine, mana magazine, the Fiji times, Maori television etc. the final highlight of the day was speaker pita sharples , head of the Maori party , minister of Maori affairs and a few other things. hes hugely inspirational , and yes i have enough sense not to trust a politician outright but to be fair hes extremely honest , very down to earth, not annoyingly PC, and can laugh at himself. We were lucky In that this was probaly one of teh best times to talk to him given the uproar over the national government deciding not to make three Maori seats on the new Auckland supercity council.
he was pissed to say the least. we also got the inside scoop on another hui with all of Auckland's Maori tribes on Wednesday which will discuss the decision. politics aside pita's work with the very marae we sat in and the te reo school next door was incredible. he told us how in the 80's when he planned the marae , which was meant for all Auckland tribes to use and for school education ( groups like ourselves) he was constantly told it could work. but that he put the money up himself for buildings and teachers salaries until he finally convinced the council to support him. The complex wa sthe first of its kind in auckland - a marae for all people.
he was pissed to say the least. we also got the inside scoop on another hui with all of Auckland's Maori tribes on Wednesday which will discuss the decision. politics aside pita's work with the very marae we sat in and the te reo school next door was incredible. he told us how in the 80's when he planned the marae , which was meant for all Auckland tribes to use and for school education ( groups like ourselves) he was constantly told it could work. but that he put the money up himself for buildings and teachers salaries until he finally convinced the council to support him. The complex wa sthe first of its kind in auckland - a marae for all people.
Sunday, 5 April 2009
Harajukus grease boy=HOT
IM IN LOVE- with the grease style boys at HARUJUKU they are everywhere- probably keeping the gel companies in business single handed- I must say its refreshing for boys to be making an effort- Ive come to the conclusion that KIWI boys are just lazy when it comes to fashion!
TOKYO
three days in a city like TOKYO and this New Zealand Girl is feeling mighty boring in her standard black- matching and un-themed outfits, i have never before suffered from plain jane syndrome so severely. Tokyo is like the vending machines it loves so much, bright, sparkling with lights, and with many many options, in short its madness! here's just a snippet of a variety of different shops from the cities busiest centres shiboya and harujuku. on the minimalist side is cult Japanese convenience style shop MUJI (which FYI is also widely available inHong Kong).
on the bright and wacky side of things is this shop in Harujuku whose name I cannot tell you asI speak not a word of Japanese, heres the catch though, what looks like a costume shop is not- its actually clothes people wear on the streets of harajuku. In shaboya -the hippest shopping area- it has THAT infamous intersection (as seen in lost in translation) which sees the most people in the world crossing it every hour - high fashion stores like COACH sit alongside CONDOMMANIA- no joke its a boutique condom store !- only in japan!
on the bright and wacky side of things is this shop in Harujuku whose name I cannot tell you asI speak not a word of Japanese, heres the catch though, what looks like a costume shop is not- its actually clothes people wear on the streets of harajuku. In shaboya -the hippest shopping area- it has THAT infamous intersection (as seen in lost in translation) which sees the most people in the world crossing it every hour - high fashion stores like COACH sit alongside CONDOMMANIA- no joke its a boutique condom store !- only in japan!
Monday, 23 March 2009
The Curse has lifted
The curse has lifted, its official, two weeks 6 destinations and5 flights later Its safe to conclude my travelers curse is lifted- touch wood, for the first time ever my luggage and person have both arrived safely and on time.
So why then the delay in fashion news from Asia? alas! lack of Internet or should I say PC Internet- so advanced are Singapore and Hong Kong that the entire country is wireless and I find my self a cyber cripple traveling sans laptop.so where in the world is fashion behind the scenes when I finally gain Internet access? TOKYO!!!But before I send all the fashionistas into Japanese fashion bliss I must backtrack to Singapore ..............I arrive smoothly at (the recently trumped for best airport award) Changi airport in Singapore, I'm greeted by bfff and fellow up and coming fashion journalist Victoria who will be my uber fashionable guide for the next 5 days, the exit feels like walking into a sauna.
Despite being the rainy season (no such concept as `winter` in Singapore) its sweltering hot and the temperature plays a key part in the city's overall fashion sense. Singapore fashion is reasonably tropical although many residents seem to be immune to the heat and stroll around in jeans and long sleeve tops, true- there is air con but only in stores and the underground -what about the transit areas? don't they die? my questions on such things are yet to answered- local Vick can offer no explanation for this insanity. like Singapore in general local fashion style is fragmented on one hand there is the largely tropical look colourful sundresses and beads for girls, shorts and jandals (slippers in local slang) for guys, most of these clothes seem to come from Thailand, many Singaporeans head yearly to Thailand for shopping trips and if they don't, most of the lower level clothing available is Thailand imported at jacked up prices, therefore if traveling around Asia wait and shop for these tropical styles in Thailand.
Alongside the tropical look is a growing UK influence in style due to an ever increasing amount of `Top Shop` stores. much of this look seems ridiculous to tourists eg* leather jackets in 30degree weather? tights? really is it cold? so despite its popularity the London look does not translate practically to Singapore's climate. rivaling Top Shop in the `London look` stakes are several concept stores that are popping up in less well known shopping areas particularly on the edges of China town, most have in house design studios underneath or above their shops.In terms of high end fashion Singapore's infamous Orchard road is the place to head, all the top designers are here, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Balenciaga, you name it its there- at least once. further down Orchard Road most of the street fronts are merely mall entrances and the street could not possibly be scoured in one day even by the most determined speed shoppers. "far east" mall offers boutiques of many fresh designers and younger Korean and Japanese imported fashion.
Under Victoria's tuition I am now capable of glancing at a shop and distinguishing whether its is Korean, Japanese or Chinese. tell tale signs I can offer you are these- the Japanese shops favour what kiwis would consider an EMO look, heavy on red tartan, leather and satchels, Koreans on the other hand champion an ACUTE style (singlish for ACT- CUTE) , lots of pink, pom poms, fur, Chanel style quilt bags in pastel tones with lots of imitation pearl embellishments on everything.
Shoe lovers will be in stiletto heaven in Singapore - its ridiculously cheap- even with the current economy, but heed my warning, should u be so unlucky as my self as to possess a shoe size over a NZ 7/8 don't get your hopes up, even if lucky enough to find your size in length the shoes are invariably narrow in cut and you are likely to find yourself severely disappointed.
So why then the delay in fashion news from Asia? alas! lack of Internet or should I say PC Internet- so advanced are Singapore and Hong Kong that the entire country is wireless and I find my self a cyber cripple traveling sans laptop.so where in the world is fashion behind the scenes when I finally gain Internet access? TOKYO!!!But before I send all the fashionistas into Japanese fashion bliss I must backtrack to Singapore ..............I arrive smoothly at (the recently trumped for best airport award) Changi airport in Singapore, I'm greeted by bfff and fellow up and coming fashion journalist Victoria who will be my uber fashionable guide for the next 5 days, the exit feels like walking into a sauna.
Despite being the rainy season (no such concept as `winter` in Singapore) its sweltering hot and the temperature plays a key part in the city's overall fashion sense. Singapore fashion is reasonably tropical although many residents seem to be immune to the heat and stroll around in jeans and long sleeve tops, true- there is air con but only in stores and the underground -what about the transit areas? don't they die? my questions on such things are yet to answered- local Vick can offer no explanation for this insanity. like Singapore in general local fashion style is fragmented on one hand there is the largely tropical look colourful sundresses and beads for girls, shorts and jandals (slippers in local slang) for guys, most of these clothes seem to come from Thailand, many Singaporeans head yearly to Thailand for shopping trips and if they don't, most of the lower level clothing available is Thailand imported at jacked up prices, therefore if traveling around Asia wait and shop for these tropical styles in Thailand.
Alongside the tropical look is a growing UK influence in style due to an ever increasing amount of `Top Shop` stores. much of this look seems ridiculous to tourists eg* leather jackets in 30degree weather? tights? really is it cold? so despite its popularity the London look does not translate practically to Singapore's climate. rivaling Top Shop in the `London look` stakes are several concept stores that are popping up in less well known shopping areas particularly on the edges of China town, most have in house design studios underneath or above their shops.In terms of high end fashion Singapore's infamous Orchard road is the place to head, all the top designers are here, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Balenciaga, you name it its there- at least once. further down Orchard Road most of the street fronts are merely mall entrances and the street could not possibly be scoured in one day even by the most determined speed shoppers. "far east" mall offers boutiques of many fresh designers and younger Korean and Japanese imported fashion.
Under Victoria's tuition I am now capable of glancing at a shop and distinguishing whether its is Korean, Japanese or Chinese. tell tale signs I can offer you are these- the Japanese shops favour what kiwis would consider an EMO look, heavy on red tartan, leather and satchels, Koreans on the other hand champion an ACUTE style (singlish for ACT- CUTE) , lots of pink, pom poms, fur, Chanel style quilt bags in pastel tones with lots of imitation pearl embellishments on everything.
Shoe lovers will be in stiletto heaven in Singapore - its ridiculously cheap- even with the current economy, but heed my warning, should u be so unlucky as my self as to possess a shoe size over a NZ 7/8 don't get your hopes up, even if lucky enough to find your size in length the shoes are invariably narrow in cut and you are likely to find yourself severely disappointed.
Thursday, 17 April 2008
dressing- life skills
It’s the life of the fashion student and more or less the life of everyone whose working their way from bottom to top, to be treated like dirt. You are, in the words of that immortal ‘trainspotting’ character, Renton,
“The lowest of the low the scum of the earth”.
None the less you enter an industry at the very bottom rung of the ladder and although you may hope to be treated like the genius you secretly think you are, you are aware it is unlikely.
It is for this reason I had a surprising experience dressing for a fashion show of late.
The common side profession of fashion students – dressing models – (literally)
Is dangled in front of us as an opportunity to ‘make contacts’ and ‘gain experience’. Essentially its expendable free labour. Although most fashion students realise this after their first dressing experience some of us continue to work as dressers because we hold the flickering candle of hope we will be discovered.
Naive much?
It was for this reason the actions of one Alexander Owen so surprised me, the up and coming designer from small New Zealand town Gisbourne was in our corner of the country showing her collection at showroom 22 last week.
Unlike most designers who rarely ordain to speak to dressers (and if they do its to ask them to fetch coffee or water) the delightful miss Owen made time to speak to the 6 students who were helping her and ask with general interest about our own collections.
Perhaps it is because Miss Owen lives away from the urban nightmare that is Auckland with its fashion snobbery and pretentiousness that she does not realise that designers are far too high and mighty to talk to lowly dressers. I hope she remains uninformed even though her designers are so interesting they will undoubtedly gain her increasing publicity.
The entire experience of her collection was surprising starting with her down to earth nature. Dressers were surprised to see on their models racks sleeves that detached and were then switched with other models and attached to other garments. Whilst this was a nightmare for those of us dressing models for rapid changes in a small area, the collection was intellectually interesting in a way that is rarely seen in New Zealand and seldom seen anywhere but the collections of the likes of Anne Demulemester and ‘Avante Garde’ international designers.
It’s the sort of designs I wished we saw more of in our fashion industry, we have a lot to learn from international designers, and perhaps certain international designers like those I dressed for at London fashion week (who shall go unnamed) could learn something from Alexandra Owen on how to treat volunteer dressers.
“The lowest of the low the scum of the earth”.
None the less you enter an industry at the very bottom rung of the ladder and although you may hope to be treated like the genius you secretly think you are, you are aware it is unlikely.
It is for this reason I had a surprising experience dressing for a fashion show of late.
The common side profession of fashion students – dressing models – (literally)
Is dangled in front of us as an opportunity to ‘make contacts’ and ‘gain experience’. Essentially its expendable free labour. Although most fashion students realise this after their first dressing experience some of us continue to work as dressers because we hold the flickering candle of hope we will be discovered.
Naive much?
It was for this reason the actions of one Alexander Owen so surprised me, the up and coming designer from small New Zealand town Gisbourne was in our corner of the country showing her collection at showroom 22 last week.
Unlike most designers who rarely ordain to speak to dressers (and if they do its to ask them to fetch coffee or water) the delightful miss Owen made time to speak to the 6 students who were helping her and ask with general interest about our own collections.
Perhaps it is because Miss Owen lives away from the urban nightmare that is Auckland with its fashion snobbery and pretentiousness that she does not realise that designers are far too high and mighty to talk to lowly dressers. I hope she remains uninformed even though her designers are so interesting they will undoubtedly gain her increasing publicity.
The entire experience of her collection was surprising starting with her down to earth nature. Dressers were surprised to see on their models racks sleeves that detached and were then switched with other models and attached to other garments. Whilst this was a nightmare for those of us dressing models for rapid changes in a small area, the collection was intellectually interesting in a way that is rarely seen in New Zealand and seldom seen anywhere but the collections of the likes of Anne Demulemester and ‘Avante Garde’ international designers.
It’s the sort of designs I wished we saw more of in our fashion industry, we have a lot to learn from international designers, and perhaps certain international designers like those I dressed for at London fashion week (who shall go unnamed) could learn something from Alexandra Owen on how to treat volunteer dressers.
Sunday, 23 March 2008
smashing pumpkins and queens of the stone age gig.
Smashing Pumpkins are the best live act ever its official!! having been a huge fan since i was all of 8 years old when everyone else liked Hanson and the spice girls, I finally had the chance to see them live. I went with Jessie and was in a state of mega excitement going "Billy Billy Billy" in the car and very much annoying her. even though there is only two original members , Billy Crogan - vocals and lead guitar and jimmy Chambirland - drums, it was the two most important members so who cares. billy was amazing so much stage presence in a silver men's skirt. hes a giant actually like 6'4 at least , it doesn't make him look any shorter next to the bassist who is a tiny little girl. arghhhhh I'm even more obsessed now than i ever was!!
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