Not a Cover Girl

I'm delighted to report that I landed in two magazines lately. Now that explains why I've been absent from this blog, no? LoL.

No, I'm not on the cover of Time Magazine's '100 Most Influential People' (yet!). Nor was I People Magazine's 'Sexiest Bayot Alive' (yet!).

Last May my piece about summer in London appeared on Mabuhay, the in-flight magazine of Philippine Airlines. Read it here http://issuu.com/mabuhaymagazine/docs/mabuhay_may2014.

Forget the article. The highlight of the exposure is really my photo on the contributors' page. Is that sleazy or what? I didn't expect them to publish the photo; or at least I hoped they'd crop it. But no; I'm right on the page of Mabuhay in my semi-naked (un)glory.

And then for the June issue of Fashion Lab, a Phnom Penh-based magazine, I modelled a few clothes for an editorial entitled Wasting My Young Years. The title is a song by London Grammar, whose album was playing when we were shooting this on the last week April.

Fuchsiaboy took the photos. He's also Creative Director of Fashion Lab.

The sitting session was really simple. Fuchsiaboy draped a black cloth on his bookshelf and, using natural light, he snapped some photos. The outfits were military inspired; many of the garments came from thrift shops in Cambodia.

Fuchsiaboy instructed me just act languid. That was, of course, easy modelling.

I'm glad the photos came out fine.

My first week in London

There are still a lot of times when I couldn't believe I'm actually in London. I've been here a week and still there's something surreal about being in a place I've always dreamed of visiting. Until about three months ago I wouldn't have thought I'd be here.

The past week had been tourist mode. My aunts had been amazingly kind to show me around. My first day alone we were hopping from one bus to another until midnight just to see the basic sights, e.g. Oxford Street, Harrods, Kensington Gardens, and Tower Bridge.

The highlight of my first day here was watching "Billy Elliot", a treat from my aunt. I wish I have the words to describe the musical, simply put I was completely astounded by it all. I was listening to the songs a few weeks before I watched the show but the music still moved me on performance night. The choreography was of course flawless.

The following days were more touristy stuff, such as the Olympic Park, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, China Town, and Covent Garden.

The next day, I met an Oxford-based Pinay Fairy ("Lady Chatterley") who brought me to the National Gallery. It was stunned when I saw my first Van Gogh, my reaction was summed up into a loud gasp. And then there were a number of Cezanne, Monet, Klimt, and Turner, among others. I'd definitely keep on going back there.

Last Thursday, I met two Pinay Fairies who showed me around Soho, supposedly one of London's gay areas.

Yesterday, I went to the British Museum, which was packed with tourists, so I have to visit again on a quieter day. I then hopped on a bus and walked the Millennium Bridge to reach Tate Modern where I saw a handful of Picassos (yet again another transcendental experience) along with some Matisse, Rothko, Pollock, and Dali. That was such a dream!

Today I went to Harrods to attend the book signing of Scott Schuman's new book, "Closer". Garance Dore was there as well to sign the pages where she appears. I was shaking the entire time I was in front of them. Yet another surreal moment right there.

Oh, I also dropped by the venue of London Fashion Week last Friday. I just hung around outside the tents, watching those fashionable people snapped up by street style photographers. It's a bit amusing to observe the fashion scene, but that's all I could do.

So that's basically a rapid rundown of the things I've been up to over the past week. There are still so many impressions of London I want to write about but that's for next time.

Letting Go

In preparation for my next big leap into the unknown, I've been slowly getting rid of the stuff I've accumulated during my stay here in Bangkok. I'm far from being a hoarder, but clearly my stuff just keeps on piling up nonetheless.

I still can't believe I've amassed so much shit over those years, considering I regularly threw away clothes, bags, and shoes I hardly used. I also gave some of my books away whenever I went home to Las Islas Filipinas.

Out of necessity this time, I had to be more thorough in paring everything down to the most necessary things. Or to be more precise, making sure all my possessions would fit in just one large suitcase.

Surprisingly, it's not hard to let go of my clothes and shoes. I just couldn't be bothered losing some of them. I realized I hardly wear sixty percent of my clothes anyway. Either they're way too small, too big, or have bad quality (which was mostly the case). I'm just happy to get rid of them.

There are pants for instance I haven't worn for years. I just hung them inside the closet hoping that (1) I'd wear them someday or (2) I'd lose weight. Both never happened, especially number 2, but that's another blog post.

I gave perhaps fifty percent of my unwanted clothes to some friends and colleagues, while the rest of the clothes had to be thrown away because they're not meant to be worn anyway, say, a polyester shirt (why did I buy that in the first place?).

The hardest to give away are my books. Obviously, they are of no practical use after I read them, but I collect them anyway. I like how they look. I take pride in my carefully arranged book shelf. And whenever I see one book for instance it stirs up thoughts about its contents and memories of where and when I read them.

Every time I give away a book I feel like I'm saying good bye to one of my babies (not that I actually know how it's like to be a mother, but who cares; I'm a drama queen after all). I try to match the person's interest with the book I give them so that they can be good "foster parents".

The things I'm not letting go are my travel mementos. They are by no means expensive keepsakes. Most of them are cheap cliches bought at the airport souvenir shop or some tourist market. But most likely I'd never go back to the places where I bought them, so they are irreplaceable. And of course it's the memories that count.

I have a clique of dolls from Yunnan, Hanoi, Yangon, and Seoul... they're snooty little bitches in ornate costumes and heavy make up. I have masks from Singapore and Sri Lanka watching over me while I sleep. I have cheap paintings from Kolkata, Chiang Mai, and Yangon huddled together above my bed. A quilt from Jakarta, scarves from Laos and Siem Reap, pottery from Ban Chiang, an umbrella from Yangon, etc. Gosh, there are just lots of them lying around my bedroom.

The challenge is to fit them in one suitcase, which I will banish into the darkness of the office's storeroom for the time being. I hope by the time I come back to pick them up they haven't turned to dust yet.

There's something cathartic about throwing some of my stuff away. It's a way to release things that I shouldn't own anyway. The questions I keep on asking my self are: do I really NEED any of them? do they have any practical use? can they be replaced? It turns out, I can get rid of probably eighty percent of what little possessions I have.

Favorite Things of 2011

It's that time of the year again when I list down my favorite "things"... for lack of a better term.

I really don't have a proper criteria, just that these are personal favorites from the year that's just about to end. These are the things that I felt were highlights of 2011, the things that make 2011 more memorable. (These books and films for instance didn't have to be released in 2011, but I had access to them in only 2011.)

So let's start.

My favorite film is "Dogtooth" (2009). This Greek film blew me away for its unusual depiction of parenting. It resonated with me because often I question to what extent parents should influence the "reality" that their children are exposed to. This movie has some answers that made me squirm.

My favorite documentary is "Exit Through the Gift Shop" (2010). This is one hilarious and irreverent documentary about street art, its driving forces, and how it has crept into the mainstream art market.

My favorite album is absolutely Adele's "21". I mean, haler!!! Enough said. I'm almost tempted to name Lady Gaga's "Born this Way", but I based my choice on the number of times I listened to each album, and "21" has been on loop in my computer since it was released. 

Which makes my favorite song "Someone Like You". I'm sure I'm not alone in naming it their favorite song of the year, and it's easy to understand why.

My favorite novel is "Room" (2010) by Emma Donoghue. It's very difficult to read it at times because of the horrific experience of its main characters. But it ends with a positive note, somehow. I've been recommending this novel to all my friends.

My favorite non-fiction book is "The Case for God" (2009) by renowned scholar Karen Armstrong. The book traces the history of religion (mainly the Abrahamic ones), its philosophy, and practice, and asserts that religion is transcendental and best known through practice. 

My favorite website is Piratebay. How on earth would I survive the year without this website where I get my movies and music, aber? I looooooove Piratebay! My second favorite website is Google Reader where I now read all my favorite blogs.

And my favorite blog is still "The Sartorialist". Scott Schuman's blog has evolved to featuring profiles and interviews of his subjects. But he is still consistent in his taste for classic and often times quirky fashion on the streets.

Talk about fashion, my favorite model this year is the androgynous model Andrej Pejic. Now he is the quintessential model: a chameleon. He is as good as a "male" model and as a "female" model. Truly, he represents fashion today, one that is undefinable and fearless. 

My favorite clothing brand at the moment is Uniqlo, which opened in Bangkok a few months ago. I love its basics because I'm now on a "basics" phase. It's a big plus Uniqlo is soooo affordable.

Lastly, my favorite trip of the year was my ten days in Myanmar (blog posts here and here). It's a country I've long wanted to visit and it did not disappoint. I was completely enamored of the colonial architecture in Yangon and the serenity of the beaches of Ngwe Saung. I'm definitely going back to Myanmar in 2012.

Happy New Year, my dear ten readers and thanks for still following the blog.

Amanda of AusNTM on BCBG Max Azria SS 2012

I was looking at the first batch of collections of New York Fashion Week, and as always BCBG Max Azria was one of the first labels to present. I read on Altamira that for models the BCBG Max Azria runway is a good indicator of their success for the entire season.

But today when I looked at the photos of its collection (also see the video here), I was more entranced by the amazing dresses than the models themselves. Suddenly I spotted a familiar face, that of Amanda Ware, who won the sixth cycle of Australia's next top model.

Isn't it exciting that she's walking with the likes of Arizona Muse, Fei Fei Sun, Ruby Aldridge, and Sara Blomqvist?

Amanda is a good model, a favorite of mine early into the competition. Her win was however overshadowed by the horrid mistake of the host in announcing on live TV the winning model of that season. So I am pleasantly surprised that Amanda is making a name for her self on the modeling scene despite that rather awkward launching.

A quick look at Amanda's Wikipedia entry showed that she in fact debuted during the 2011 fall-winter shows, appearing on Philip Lim and L'Wren Scott, among a few other brands. Seems like AusNTM has another successful model in the making, following Alice Burdeu's reign on the world's major catwalks a few years back.

I'm watching the current season of AusNTM, and really the quality of its contestants is astounding. Picking just one favorite is very challenging. Each girl is unique and simply mind-blowing. It helps of course that they are young, on average about 18 years old, so they are mostly fresh-looking.

On the contrary, ANTM has ceased to become a modeling competition; and especially with the launching of ANTM All Stars (premiering later this month), it's more of a bitch fest for aging has-been (even barely) models. 

I Heart 'Cheeze Looker'

Among the many Thai magazines I love, I never fail to buy the monthly issue of Cheeze, the magazine covering street style in Bangkok (see previous entry). In December 2010, Cheeze released the first issue of the exclusively male street style magazine, Cheeze Looker (see Facebook page).

I can't be more thrilled!

Bangkok's men are no doubt as fashionable as the women here; and with such a wealth of stylish men around, why not devote a separate magazine for them, chai mai? I guess among the young men in this city, when they pay attention on how they look they don't think they're being robbed of their masculinity. Cheeze Looker is, thus, a celebration of the fashionably daring Bangkok man.

Over the years, I observed that K-pop is the reference for Thai fashion, men's fashion included. Think of how a typical Korean pop star is styled: spiky hair, skinny jeans, dark colors, and pointed shoes. The weakness of the fashionable people in Bangkok is they also tend to get trendy. There are easily dozens and dozens of these men walking around Siam Square looking like they come from the same K-pop cookie cutter.

And then late 2009 through the rest of 2010, men sported the dorky look (I don't know how else to call it really). Basically, button down shirt, tapered pants and folded a few inches above the ankles, and some leather shoes sans socks. I'm still seeing plenty of them around until now; and honestly, it's the easiest way to tell who's gay. (Samples are found below.)

Fortunately, Cheeze Looker's editors and photographers know exactly the hackneyed looks. There is barely space for such non-original styles (well, there are a few cliches here and there). Overall, the magazine features lots of quirky and unique looks, with lots of individuality and experimentation.

I love the nonchalance of these men on the pages of Cheeze Looker; proof that style is not what you're wearing but how you wear the clothes.

On top of documenting the zeitgeist on the street, Cheeze Looker is also a style guide through its editor's picks. And like Cheeze, it also functions as a shopping guide, thus, making the magazine indispensable for those who are keen on exploring the fashion scene in the city.

Paradigm Shift

I finally met two of Manila's fashion blogger royalty, Toxic Disco Boy and Inckarlcerating. God, di ako prepared coz I was wearing some office-y clothes whereas Toxic and Karl were in their drapery splendor and decked in eye-blinding cutlery... I mean silver accessories. I looked like their alalaay with a Surigaonon accent!

They were in fact wearing some clothes from Paradigm Shift, a clothing line the girls design themselves. It's truly inspiring how they successfully translated their point of view into something commercial. I heard they will soon sell their creations in a boutique in Podium, which obviously is worth looking forward to.

I love the panache and courage Toxic and Karl have in presenting themselves. Many folks were stealing glances of the girls' billowy tops, diaphanous accents, and deadly rings, but they just keep on sauntering like fab gazelles in the midst of buffaloes in jeans.

I told them they are a bit misplaced in Manila's relatively conservative fashion scene. Where they truly belong is Bangkok, where their forward approach to fashion would be more appreciated. Besides, they'd die shopping in BKK's streets. So Toxic and Karl, gooorah na to BangCock!

Covering Bangkok's Street Style

I've always enthused over the street-style scene in Bangkok. I've expressed long ago how inspiring it is for me to just sit in a bench in Siam Square on weekend and watch fashionable kids milling around the hip boutiques of the area.

 

More than what people are wearing, being a fan of street-style blogs all over the world, street wear is a good indicator of the prevailing mindset of the current generation. Of course, these people are not representative of the entire population of that country (haler, not everyone can be that stylish, non?).

Still, street-style says a lot about some people's attitudes, their references, their moods, their statements, and their culture in general, especially youth culture.

Unfortunately, until now I still don't know if there's a blog dedicated to capture street-style in BKK. My recourse has been to read Cheeze magazine, which comes out monthly. Fuchsiaboy ITSELF is a Cheeze fan. In fact, I brought to Siem Reap my collection of past issues (about eight months' worth).

I've taken a few sample photos of those old editions (major copyright infringement here!). They are obviously some of my favorite images. Cheeze, however, can give its readers a mix of style approaches, from the trendy to the individualistic. Here, I chose the relatively "quirky" ones, not only of what the persons are wearing, but their overall attitude in the image as well.

As a spectator of the style/fashion scene in BKK, my take is there's an evident consciousness about fashion among BKK denizens in general. Most Bangkokians like to look good. I sometimes think it's a preoccupation. When I first arrived here, I was so blown away by how seemingly impeccable everyone was. I realized they do pay attention to grooming and styling here, with mixed results of course.

Among the young people, there's a huge Japanese and Korean influence in their style, starting with the hair, and then their clothes, and all the way to how their pose in their photos (Asian pose, anyone?). Needless to say, J-Pop and K-Pop are major movers of BKK style, even if they have to wear jackets or cardigans at the height of summer for instance. Jing jing! (Well, there's always the baduy people wherever in the world you go naman.)

Among the really stylish ones, however, I have nothing but admiration for them.They really know how to pull it off. I love how they make their look very them, meaning it's personal and evokes their style ideology.

I love how they mix and match expensive accessories with Chatuchak finds, and actually whipping up amazing looks. There's always a relaxed mood to them, courtesy of some shirts for instance that they must've bought from the night market in the street, with a touch of luxury, say a Balenciaga bag. Zara, Topshop, and Izzue are also staples.

For those who cannot afford a Balenciaga or the international brans, there's always the second-hand shops (akin to ukay-ukay) in Chatuchak or Wang Lang. Or perhaps the non-expensive work of their designer friends who have shops in Siam Square or Suan Lum Night Bazaar.

In fact, many people here wear local designers such as Issue, One Hidden Agenda, Mama Says Zed, It's Happened to be a Closet, Painkiller, Greyhound, etc.

 

Whether they put on low-end or high-end items, the folks in BKK consistenlty excel in styling. In fact, the key to their looks is styling, more than the clothes themselves. They play with volume and proportions lavishly. And of course accessories are indispensable. A hat here, a scarf there, a funky hairstyle, an iPhone, or sunglasses bought from Khao San Road.

I do see many people who are purely following trends, but there are also a good number of kids who have a innate sense of fashion and style, thus, keeping the street-style scene here constantly fascinating and inspiring.

 

I guess the common denominator in BKK street-style is the kids' confidence, on top of a general relaxed mood with a reasonable amount of flair and bravado.There's hardly any restriction in what you can wear here anyway (for example, you can wear super short skirts without being called a pokpok *looks straight at Filipinos*).

So there's really a lot of room for experimentation when you're in BKK. A daring approach to clothing is appreciated, thank you very much.

In the current heat of the summer, the trend I'm seeing a lot skin. Cut-off jeans, with fringes galore, are de rigueur among the girls. Heavy eyeliner, which I've seen for quite some time now, is still the rage. Huge bags are also ubiquitous. Among the boys, skinny jeans refuse to go away, although I'm seeing a fair share of military wear too. Despite the heat, Dr Martens boots are still becoming more and more visible (starting last year actually). Still, there's room enough for diversity and reinterpretation of the trends.

As the seasons change, I'm expecting a bit more layering in the coming months, say, cardigans, light scarves, and some leggings and boots.

Anyway, I'm definitely keeping my eyes peeled for more street-style action in Bangkok.