Obscure Your Intention Behind A Piece Of Plastic

 

Think Cobra Commander or Alexander McQueen's fall/winter 2012, this visor was fun to wear covering my face. People can't help but stare or do a double-take curious why I'm hiding my face behind it.  

 

top - Gaspard Yurkeivich, bottom - Frapbois pants, shoes - Converse, bag - Prada, accessories - thrifted visor + cuff spikes

With No Plans At All

 

 

 

 

 

Soap was in town so I met up with him for lunch at Moloppor. It was actually nice to be dragged out of my cave.

 

 

 

 

We had pork tonkatsu, fried squid with fresh Kampot pepper and this fried gyoza.

 

 

 

 

Apres, we had some coffee and cakes at The Upstairs Cafe.

 

 

 

 

Their chocolate cake is yum! It's dense and moist.

Soap and I plotted some work stuff for most of the afternoon. We also visited some local stores to check what we can feature in F magazine.

With really no plans we decided to try Kohkong sushi bar for an early dinner.

It's interesting to read their little guide to eating sushi.

I ordered some salmon & cream cheese sushi.

Soap got some crispy salmon skin sushi.

We then transferred to Miss Wong for some drinks.

I had Singapore Sling. Not really my usual drink but I was craving for something sweet.

The power went off suddenly so we decided to go somewhere else because it was getting hot.

We decided to check out Picasso. I've never been for the longest time.

There I had my usual drink.

Soap, Becks and me.

Not bad to spend my day.

I See You Staring At Me

I wish it was still cool here in Siem Reap but it only lasted for three days. We're back to sweltering hot and that means no layering at all if you don't want to die of heat stroke. But I'd rather have tropical weather than snow and frost anytime. I can't even stand cold airconditioning sometimes. This loose tee from Thai brand Rotsaniyom was the perfect top to wear to keep me feeling light and breezy. And see the horse staring back at you!

top - Rotsaniyom tee, bottom - DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - Timberland, bag - Prada tote, accessories - ESQ shades + various bracelet

Orange

This jolting orange color is brought to you by Maison Martin Margiela. It's the only tee I collect and I have several pieces in different variations. It's fairly easy to wear and I'm love with the concept of AIDS awareness behind it. The maison actually donates a portion of its sale to an organization dedicated in fighting AIDS.

 

I wore this outfit to the opening party of Shinta Mani. The guests were requested to wear orange so I'm glad I had this tee.

top - Maison Martin Margiela AIDS tee + Bo Parcon s/s 2013 vest, bottom - DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - Kenzo, bag - thrifted

Lazy Suit

 

It seems my MO for Christmas is be lazy. See, this is what I wore for Christmas dinner! The weather was cool and my hosts are terribly casual people so it was nice to wear really comfy, lazy clothes.

 

top - Street Couture tee, bottom - Frapbois, bag - Zucca, shoes - Y-3

Christmas Dinner

Herbed Roasted Chicken

 

 

Chicken Macaroni

 

 

Garden Salad

 

 

Fruit Salad

 

 

(from left) Kuya Blady, Ate Cielo, Nong, Vhelle, Bryce, Brandon and me

 

 

I had a very delicious Christmas dinner at the Perezes. I like that we just had a very simple and sedate celebration. In my family we really don't do big celebrations so I'm not used to the usual fancy preparations. This suits my style better. I really had a great time!

 

So how did you spend your Christmas eve? 

From Me To You

Always Look Front To Back

I'm essentially a minimalist when it comes to my style. Honestly, I'm happy wearing a tee and drape-y pants everyday. But I also can't resist a little surprise detail injected to something mundane. Like this look I have, in the front it looks perfectly normal and boring, even. But see the back...

The hem of the back is much longer. Such a simple yet very interesting detail for a shirt. Makes all the difference!

top - Ria Bolivar, bottom - DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - DM's, bag - Zucca

An Attempt At Being Festive

Red is one color I can wear like I wear black. But I seldom wear something this colorful. It's the Christmas service of our church and it's my attempt at being festive.

top - Bench tee + The Alchemists vest, bottom - DP pants, shoes - Jil Sander x Puma sneakers, bag - American Apparel

We Hesitate And Then Reconsider

I'm not really fond of ethnic costumes but I made an exception of this tie-dyed shirt from India. The cotton fabric is just so cool to wear. I order some of my cotton fabrics from India and it's really an amazing quality. And I'm very picky with my cotton fabrics especially when I wear it. I would have wanted it in a solid shade and resisted buying it the first time. Then I thought the tie-dyed dots make an interesting foil to an otherwise boring cut. Ultimately, it's the ease of wearing it that won me to purchase it.

top - Amina India, bottom - DP s/s 13 pants, shoes - Kenzo, bag - Y'saacs, accessories - straw hat

Timeless Elegance

                 

 

 

I sometimes long for rigidity and formality in my style of dressing. I think there is something interesting about fluidity mixed with something sharp and tailored. My designs are almost always fluid, drape-y and loose so I try to tone it down by mixing a tailored jacket or vest. Here the folds of my s/s 2013 pants play nicely with the angular shape of my Yohji Yamamoto jacket. Because of the fit it feels like the jacket is armorial, holding you together, keeping your shape intact. It lends a certain dignity and seriousness to your aura. As what Yohji believes, 'Fashion sighs after trends. I want timeless elegance.'

top - Margiela AIDS tee + Y's Yohji Yamamoto jacket, bottom - DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - Kenzo

Peek At F Magazine December 2012

I'm proud of our December 2012 issue of F Magazine. We wanted to inject a little bit of fantasy and escape to the editorials we included.

On the cover are popular models Nov Sonita, Ly Sophanlida, and Chan Srey Rath. It was fun working with them!

 

 

 

 

We collaborated with some of our favorite creatives.

 

 

 

 

This editorial is shot in Singapore and was inspired by Laura Esquivel's novel 'Como Agua Para Chocolate'. It's about dreaming of finally reuniting with a love one.

 

 

 

 

It was photographed by Onin Lorente who contributed several editorial shoots for us already. It was also a showcase of the designs from Future Fashion Now of Singapore.

 

 

 

 

If there are dreams and fantasy then this shoot called Futuristic Monster was inspired by nightmares.

 

 

 

 

Vietnamese model, Owen Tran, gamely donned crazy accessories, most notably from Em Riem, transforming himself into a beautiful monster. He even made a young girl cry during our shoot which made everyone laugh.

 

 

 

 

I worked with Toefi Torres and Engrid Roco Rosal to come up with the looks for this story. They first collaborated with F when they made special headpieces for Aok Sokunkhana on our 3rd anniversary issue.

 

 

 

 

The street styles of Iloilo was our feature for our Street Eye section and I must say the kids are getting bolder and edgier with their sartorial choices in that city.

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Rei Hontanar who provided all the snaps of the cool kids in Iloilo.

 

 

 

 

Inspired by Gustav Klimt's artworks and the Symbolist movement we came up with this editorial that celebrates the heavily texturized works of Ambre Romyda Keth, Eric Raisina, Anne Noelle, Keok'jay, SCT, Sophy&Sina and many more designers. It's a riot of colors and textures that seems to be the trend for many of the labels here in Cambodia. This was photographed by our creative director, Sophea Ke and I styled it.

 

 

 

 

Lastly, this shoot with Sophea was my baby. Just outside of Phnom Penh, whenever I go to Siem Reap, I always pass by this stretch of sandy area. So it was the perfect location for some nomadic inspired menswear that looked perfect on our French-Khmer model, Gauthier Wahsmuth. It's one of my favorite editorial that I've styled for F. Think nomadic and I'm there!

 

Do check out our December issue and see what we've worked so hard. As always your feedback is greatly appreciated! 

Never Met A Wrinkle He Never Loved

One writer described Issey Miyake as a designer who 'never met a wrinkle he never loved'. And I never met an Issey Miyake piece I never loved.

 

top - Issey Miyake wrinkled top + Oxygen tee, bottom - DKNY, shoes - Jil Sander x Puma, bag - Prada

Black Spell

Hare

 

Cool Dog

 

 

 

 

Issey Miyake

 

 

 

 

Jill Stuart

 

 

 

 

Made In The Earth

 

 

Goodness knows I don't need more clothes in my bursting and full-to-the-brim closet. But I can't help myself especially here in Cambodia where thrifting is really cheap and you can find interesting pieces. Here's some of my recently acquired stuff, my predilection for a particular shade betrays me, revealing how I simply can't say no to more black. 

Oh, Comme All Ye Faithful

Comme des Garcons creates an impression that seems to endorse shabbiness and eschewing the tradional beauty being sought in European clothes. The clothes take their final form and movement causes them to acquire further unexpected shapes only when they are worn. The wearer is enticed by its intellectual playfulness. Rei Kawakubo's approach of reducing everything to zero and attempting to create in a completely new way ensures an aesthetic that is recognized as futuristic and avant-garde. Comme des Garcons' army of faithfuls will always know that they will get something new and different all the time. So they keep coming back for more.

 

I've been thrifting for the longest time but this has only been the 3rd time I found a CdG piece from the main collection. It looks very special and I suspect from a collection in the 80's. I can't wait to wear it to a special event. The way it was constructed and pieced together, and the nylon, silk and cotton fabric used are just divine.