'fortress'

Fashion Diary : Knit, Cut and Muji

I seldom go sheer because of my obese body but there are times when I'm just compeled to do it simply because a statement clothing comes along and there's no other way, no other choice but succumbed to fashion's frivolity. Not that the piece from Yoshiyuki Konishi screams frivolous, oh no far from it, but rather it's crafty but in a modern sort of way. If styled properly it can even be gothic. The Japanese are it, I'm telling you. Crazy bunch!

Given to me by Titser May, the piece is technically amazing. The pattern used and the way it's knitted with translucent nylon thread to create an almost tattoo effect on the wearer.

Layering it with another top just doesn't cut it.

My latest purchase from Muji. I'm so loving the shape and the leather used on this sneaker. Sooo comfy.

Now that the temperature here in Cambodia is cooler I get to wear some warmer items from my loot.

This cotton/wool plaid shirt from Clutch is joy. Just your basic button with a little twist: the cut of the sleeves are kinda bat-wing. Ohhhh, so 80's, no?

KH

One thing that gets me angry is if someone touches my stuff without permission. It doesn't matter if it's just 'nothing' because there is 'nothing' in my stuff, ever! I'm the sort of person who buys things for a reason and attaches so much meaning to stuff. It may just be a piece of cloth or a keychain or a stuffed toy, all of it has significant reasons why it's there in my life. So for somebody to just get it without my permission I feel violated and disrespected. I feel that you are not using your brain and I really feel not tolerant with people who do that. I'm usually very patient with people and their quirks but when my space gets violated and I 'lose' things or my stuff not being in order the way I placed it, I can be very angry.

All you have to do is ask permission and I will let you borrow my stuff. It's the same thing with not returning my stuff. Same degree of violation that I feel. My real friends know not to cross that line or else...

Anyway, the reason for this rant is Loven's staff which I will lovingly call KH. I'm tempted to name him Mr. Assuming but I won't. Now why the boon of my contention, you may ask? Let's just say he assumes too much. He assumed it's ok for him to use my print in his bloody friggin shirt! He assumed that it's ok to print the names and numbers of his bloody friggin football team using our silkscreen, paint, computer, paper and all. When confronted by Loven he assumed that he already mentioned it and asked permission already. He even moved my clothes rack and set-up to make way for his bloody friggin printing job. He also used my bloody friggin Martin Margiela book as weight for his bloddy friggin printing project! Now if it doesn't get you to transform into a nasty fashion monster then I don't know what!?

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!! Kakainis!!!!

Follow that fake Prada tag...

Sunday afternoon is usually ukay time for moi and my friends here in Cambodia. There are several stores in the downtown area that sells ukay but our fave is this out-of-the way stall in a minor market, maybe, 15 minutes from the town center. It's much more expensive of course in the town are to buy ukay unlike in Sakrolayn where a dollar can get you 20 pieces already.

Rough road galore going inside.

I just want to share some Cambodian townscape. This is what you see aroung the market area. Very provincial, no?

Usually, we start around 2pm and finish when it gets a little bit dark around 5pm.

My regular ukay buddy said she wants to limit her purchase to fit in that brown paper bag.

She ended up having two large plastic bags brimming with fab clothes.

So much for will power. :)

Salabai Book Launch

Our executive chef at Hotel de la Paix, Joahnes Revierre, recently had a launching for a cook book he authoured. It's all about delicious Khmer recipes but with a French touch, of course.

I forgot the name of these guys but on the right is the owner of Chamkar, the only vegetarian Khmer resto here in Siem Reap and one of my fave. Their grilled veggies are to-die-for!

My costume: Common - T tee, Levi's pinstripe jeans, K-Bond shoes, Longchamp bag, Norman Noriega necklace.

DIY Project : Salvage a damaged shirt.

Classic case: A perfectly normal Super Lovers buttoned down shirt and oily food don;t go together.

Oil spots that won't come off despite my dry cleaning efforts. Ugh! What a waste!

Why throw the whole damn thing if you can salvage parts of it? Step 1: Make outlines that separates the damaged part with the clean part. A tailors chalk or pencil will do.

Step 2: Decide then what style you want. Your inner design talent will come in handy. Cut the trace you made. Use a sharp scissors to cut cleanly.

Step 3: After cutting one side of the shirt, use the cut portion as trace to cut the other side to make sure you have identical parts. Makes it easier for you.

Move along the back until all the damaged portion gets cut off.

Yes! A raw edged layering piece. I don't know what to call it really. Hmmm...half-shirt?

Step 4: Don't forget to remove the label and re-attach it again.

Step 5:Sew the raw edges cleanly by hand or sewing machine. Or you can just leave it to fray if you want.

With a white shirt.

The back view.

I decided to test it out by layering it on top of a black shirt with a slightly longish sleeves.

5cm tee with the Super Lovers half-shirt, Only jeans and Muji sneakers.

It looks Margielic on the side, noh?

Prints - Some more 'Birds'

Why the 'birds' print, you may ask? Hmmm...well it goes back to my mood again.

I feeling organic, nature, migration, cycle, mother earth. I want to achieve that sense of comfort, that sense of familiarity a mother gives.

I want this collection to be joyous. A celebration of life. Including the darkness and impermanence that goes with it.

Anyway, don't try to understand too much what I'm rambling here. Don't even begin to assume I understand it even. LOL! Basta ganun lang sya.

We've done the prints in raw silk, cotton, satin, etc. Here, above you can see the jersey one.

Then we did it in some cotton with grids.

White rayon

Plain cotton

Very artisanal actually, no? All done by hand using the silk screen method. I'm gonna try it with some gauze material and see if it works with looser weaves.

I'm planning to have shoes made also with prints, bags and the whole gamut. Kaya busy-busyhan ang drama.

Prints - 'Birds'

Staying here in Cambodia is changing my aesthetic. Or rather it's evolving in ways I couldn't imagine. I've embraced colors and prints. An explosion of it! And now with the help of Spoolworks I'm doing my own prints! In satin, too! A fabric I rarely use coz I hate the shine and how it's easily wrinkled. The pink one is Cambodian raw silk, though, while the black and blue are satin. You are looking at the 'finch' and 'feather' print. I have to check with my bird expert friend, Karen, if it's really a finch, though. :)

The other day I was talking to Elizabeth, former creative director of Le Sport Sac, and she too was experiencing this sudden shift of viewpoint. She has a shop at the Alley, just across the Passage where the One Shop is. She's embracing colors and doing stuff ala Comme des Garcons in such a vibrant and exciting way. Coming from New York where darkness and minimalism rules her new found voice is something new to her. More of her soon, my golly, we're like this: (crosses pointing finger and middle finger). In her words we're separated at birth! lol!

Anyway, I'm going to do a capsule collection using the fabric and I'm quite pleased with the results so far. Can't wait to share it with you guys.

Before I forget

Hmmm...yes, medyo busy ako na parang hindi rin.

Keri lang in other words. House party dito ngayon sa bahay at ang bisita namin ay ang mga sumali sa Angkor Photo Festival na maniniyot ng Pilipinas. Sina Carla Mendoza, John Javellana, Akira Liwanag, Candice Reyes, Sarah Encabo, at John Custodio. Nakakatuwa sila. Pagkatapos ng aming hapunan na pinagsaluhan - herbed pink salmon, olives&feta salad, couscous with crabs and vegetables, inihaw na manok at dragon fruit, ay umakyat kami sa opisina ni Loven upang mag-relax habang umiinom ng Bailey's, white wine at vodka na hinaluan ng Sprite.

Syempre pa dahil naturingang mga taga-kuha ng piktyurs ang kasama namin eh di nagtagal eh nagkukuhaan na ng litrato. Una yung mug shot effect. Iba-iba kaming karakter na ginampanan. Ako mortician, yung iba terorista at yung iba pa ay porn star. Basta, may mga costumes pa at aksesorya na ginamit. Saka ko na ipapakita kasi gusto kong black&white ang kulay nito.

Yung sumunod na theme eh parang light effects ala Nick Knight. Yung tipong may ilaw na naguguhit sa imahe. Pwede nga may pangalan mo, eh. Di ko maipaliwanag ang teknikal na pamamaraan pero di naman kasi ako maniniyot.

Nakakatawa at nakakatuwa silang kasama!

O, balik na tayo pala dun sa drama kong busy-busyhan ako.

Oo nga pala, may show ako sa Desyembre 4. Bubuksan ang susunod na eksibisyon ng pintor na isang Franco-Khmer. Para mas bongga eh magpapakita ako at ang isang Franco-Madagascan na aming mga desinyong damit. Mabuti na nga lang e nag-umpisa na akong gumawa ng kung anu-anung mga damit. Kasi na rin si Loven e kinulit akong subukan ang tagagawa nya ng print na tauhan. Tamad ko kasi minsan. Aba nakakatuwa naman ang resulta. Kaya ayun, busy-busyhan nga.

Sa isang banda e may mga personal na bagay ring akong tinatapos. Sabihin na nating racket ito. Ayoko na munang banggitin dito. Baka kasi malasin.

Hmmm...mga bagay pa na baka makalimutan kong banggitin:

1. Nagpunta si Kitty Go sa gallery. Ang chica nya. Matagal na yun pero nagyun ko lang naalala. Sya yung sumulat ng 'When Chic Hits the Fan' na thinly-veiled tell-all ng mga buhay ng mayayaman at sikat sa Pilipinas.

2. May dadating na mga importanteng tao galing Pilipinas na di ko lubos maisip na makikilala ko. Tipong may mga daan sa atin na ipinangalan lang naman sa pamilya nila. Ang plano pa ni Loven e magho-host sya ng hapunan para sa kanila.

3. Malungkot ako ngayung araw kasi di ko nakuha ang gusto kong Ann Demeulemeester na polo.

4. ...

Eto yung ilaw-ilaw shoot namin:

moi. Aminin, ang fierce ko!

Carla

Loven

Sarah

Akira

Charles

John

Candice

Vincent

Halata bang lasing ako?