Longchamp Love Affair

I forgot to blog about this bag I got a few months ago from the Jeremy Scott x Longchamp collaboration. This was from the fall/winter 2010 collection and the last piece in the Longchamp store in Bangkok, according to the sales assistant there. Maybe I'm just sucker for such things although I'm quite relieved when I came back two weeks after that there's no more in stock, lol!

It combines a printed canvas body (this time with a print called 'Gold Plates') leather handles and zipper flap.

It reminds me so much of my first JS x LC bag, the "Gold Card' version from fall/winter 2008, but it was too cute to pass. Unlike the 'Colonel' and 'Sergent' version from autumn/winter 2009 which didn't excite me when I saw it.

There was something odd about the size of the 'Colonel', I think a little bit smaller. Maybe it's just me. Initially, I was so excited to get this thinking it would be perfect for some military looks. Anyway, I'd probably have a change of mind if ever I get a hold of this version, just to add to my collection.

The second piece to be released for fall/winter 2010 was this tire print Le Pliage. I'm loving it and so excited to get this. It's the first time from this collaboration that they released a dark colorway. It's usually very colorful and cartoon-ish.

This one though reminds me of Roy Lichtenstein's art. What do you think?

Lovely, non? I hope I'll have the chance to acquire this version.

Oh, and I got this one, too. It's actually my favorite from all the JS x LC bags I got. The 'Stomp' version from the spring/summer 2008 collection was the third time Mr. Scott collaborated with Longchamp.

Since I've been a very good boy this year, a little self gifting wouldn't hurt, non? I'm so happy to finally add to my collection this BLESS x Longchamp piece which I've been dying to get. An equally fashion obsessed friend got it for me (now that I think about it, he's actually more fashion obsessed than me). It's not with me yet but it will be perfect to welcome the new year with this one. The collection was part of the 20th anniversary of ANDAM, a French association that promotes arts and fashion. It also includes designs by Jeremy Scott and Charles Anastase. The BLESS design reconfigures the Le Pliage bag to turn into a donut bracelet. I'm really super excited!

Happy Birthday Leigh

Hello

I can't believe another year will soon pass! It just zoomed like a jet with white clouds scrawling the blue sky. I arrived here in Siem Reap late 2007 and I could still remember my first night, my excitement of plunging into a journey I didn't know what to expect. Although Siem Reap is relatively known for Angkor Wat but it still does evoke something exotic and unknown to most people. A friend who lives in Thailand, a mere 6 hour drive, asked me if there's land mine in Angkor Wat. A friend told me her grandmother asked her where in China is Cambodia. So I guess the journey for me continues on. And it is still very much 'I don't know what to expect' from day to day. It's still very much fascinating from the people you meet to the things that happen around. Also the excitement is magnified for me because we will be transferring to a new house before new year. Just the other day I checked my room (much bigger so I have more space to litter my stuff) and I literally lost sleep thinking of how I should arrange it. Right now I'm going for that Margielic vibe with whites and salvaged object kinda feel. I'm also quite grown fond of the blog You Can Make It Easy because of blogposts like this. Anyway, I have to deal with the packing first, a monumental undertaking given the amount of rubbish I acquired over the years. Imagine when I first came I had only one suitcase of stuff and that includes my favorite pillow. I don't know now how many suitcases I would need to stuff all my belongings for the move. I bought 4 huge clear plastic 'sakonites' at Ikea in my recent trip in Singapore but I see it will only be enough to store my clothes. This is like the exodus from Egypt, hehehe! Tomorrow I'm going to the market to buy muslin for curtains, pillow case and bed sheets for my room.

I wore this outfit yesterday:

Top: Solo orange silk tee (very Helmut Lang-ish, non?) with my fave gray vest

Bottom: GAP 1969 jeans

Accessories: Muji patent sneakers and American Apparel bag

Madam Sachiko

One of my fave hang-out place in Siem Reap is Madam Sachiko's Cafe Puka Puka.

It's just beside her famous Angkor Cookies shop. This company is really admirable because of their goal to help Cambodian people have more jobs. Being a local businessman myself it's quite fulfilling to have helped people better their lives with the jobs we provide for our staff. I think I'm a good boss, hehehe! Anyway, check Angkor Cookies site to know more about them.

This is Cafe Puka Puka. It's a kind of flower, their name.

I love because they have Japanese magazines to read while I enjoy some Japanese snacks like green tea and red beans on top of shaved ice.

They also have delicious butter cookies and tamarind juice. I always enjoy my time whenever I visit there.

Snake

I found this python print top in Bacolod when I went thrifting there. The fabric is cotton and very comfortable, really perfect for Cambodian weather.

It's probably just me but it sorta gives me this Rick Owens vibe (and I'm not really sure if Rick Owens does snake print or uses snake leather in his collections). I really can't afford Rick Owens but I'm blessed with generous friends like Daniel and Elizabeth who spoil me with some pieces. I've scoured the thriftshops for any Rick Owens cast-offs but it's one of the few labels that has been elusive in my grasp. So instead I'm augmenting my fantasy (ok, ok obsession!) for more Rick Owens by these Owen-esque pieces.

When I was in Iloilo recently I was looking for something similar. Luckily, I found another snake print top! The scales are bigger and reminds me of crocodile skin, too. I got it for 100 pesos. Quite a bargain, non? I'm delighted that the top has this unusual seaming on the front and has little darts (which you really can't see) in places that shapes it. It's a bit loose on me which I like and the fabric is a light weight cotton blend. I appreciate that the color is a little subdued, probably a tree snake, and not some intensely colored serpent ala McQueen. I saw one McQueen snake print dress and I was amazed of the technical quality of the printing. That's why it's immensely expensive! Anyone would be hard pressed to surpass snake skin print after McQueen.

My pants is by Bo Parcon (with faux chain detail on the side), shoes by DietButcherSlimSkin, leather bracelet by BLESS, cap from Japan and duffel bag by Adidas Silver.

Antique Hunting

My friends and I started our day with breakfast at our fave Vietnamese noodle place at the Central Market. I was with Cielo, Blady and Rathana.

I had iced Vietnamese coffee and a delicious bowl of shrimp noodle soup. If you haven't tasted authentic Vietnamese coffee and you're a caffeine addict then I'm telling you are missing a lot. There's something quite sublime how the Vietnamese make their coffee. When I was in Saigon I was so happy to just have coffee with every meal. Of course, I had serious palpitations but...

Apres, we went to the barai to have some prayer time. It's nice to have some nature while you pray to God and thank Him of all the blessings He has given you. It's also a time where you can talk to Him about your problems and the things that bother you. I'm not really a religious person but I'm deeply spiritual.

Fashion Diary time:

Top: Michigan State sweat shirt

Bottom: DP jersey cotton sweat pants

Accessories: ball cap from Japan given by Danny, Nike Air sneakers, Comme des Garcons bag

We checked out our antique suki and I fell in love with this wood framed mirror. It's being sold for $80.00 and I couldn't make up my mind if I wanted it that bad.

I ended up buying these 3 wooden pulleys which I'm reselling at Poetry. I think it's a wonderful object to just display around or maybe function as paper weight. If you didn't know we sell curated objects for the home at Poetry like potteries, ceramics and antique objects that reflect our personal tastes, as always.

Dots and Mesh

Feeling very Comme here. The denim shorts was like 150baht from Chinatown in Bangkok and it was ridiculous not to get it. I thought it would just fall apart after several use but I'm happy to say it's well made. My friend Joellen got the longer pants and I wonder if it has served her well. My tee was a sample of the series we did before called "Destroyed Prints' and this was the 'dot' version. When we first did our print in the workshop I wasn't really sure how it will be received by shoppers in the store. No one was more surprised but me because we sold a lot of this print. The print features 3 sizes of dot, my obvious homage to Rei Kawakubo's love for dotted fabric in Comme des Garcons.

Top: DP 'Dot' print tee

Bottom: denim shorts from Bangkok Chinatown

Accessories: One Hidden Agenda tote, Bless bracelet, Dr. Peepers shades, Nike Air Rift

The mesh top I'm wearing was a thrift find. It can be extremely hot here in Cambodia. I layered it over a Uniqlo tank. I think I was on my way to go thrifting when I wore this.

Top: mesh tank over a Uniqlo tank

Bottom: DP jersey sweat pants

Accessories: Rayban shades, Comme des Garcons bag, Nike Air sneakers

Subversive Cola

When I was in college my friend Sherry was so obsessed with United Colors of Benetton that she even has toilet paper from the brand. Studying in a far-flung, mountain side university I was amazed of the concept that a fashion brand can extend to humble products and elevate it into covetable commodity. Not just a simple toilet paper but a UCB toilet paper! Of course, in our current fashion landscape it's not unusual to have designers splash their names unto gadgets, hotels, cars, and everything under the sun. I have an Evian x Christian Lacroix.

But I didn't expect for Jun Takahashi, he of the very subversive UNDERCOVER, to collaborate with Coke Zero in a collection of merchandise that celebrate his love for music. SILLY THING, the art publishing group based in Hong Kong, will curate the project. My friend Daniel took a photo of a Coke Zero can promoting the project. I actually want one just for fun. Elizabeth, who drinks Coke at 6am, should stock box load of these very fashionable drink.