Grey Canvas

This grey canvas jacket I'm wearing was never part of any collection I made but was just a sample to try out a shape I was developing. It's not really so obvious in the photo but the seams for the armhole was dropped down so I can create a more curved shoulder line. I still may use the idea in a collection once I refine the final shape I really want. I think it still needs a bit of tweaking, like I wanted a longer length, and probably more volume.

top - DP s/s 2013 top + DP grey jacket, bottom - DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - tabi

Checkered

Not really a big fan of checks, plaid or even striped clothing. It can be disastrous if you're not careful - it can make you look fat and wide. That's why I don't like it so much. But then I saw this Muji check shirt and really liked it. I tend to favor simple shapes now. I don't know if I can call it primitive or even folkloric but it feels more modern not to be technical and futuristic. I'm getting bored with all the Nicolas Ghesquiere for Balenciaga rip-offs going around.

top - DP s/s 2013 vest + Muji shirt, bottom - DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - tabi

Emerge From The Tyranny Of Black

I love black but sometimes it's fun to take a rest from it and be a little bit lighter. There are other shades to explore and sometimes it's just a case of laundry issue. All your black pieces in a mountain pile because you're too lazy to wash it. And I hate doing laundry! So out comes the less favored pieces, the ones that goes buried under the pile, and the one who gives you a perfect surprise because A.) You forgot buying it, and B.) How can you forget such a piece when you are the one who designed it! That's the case with this pants from my spring/summer 2012 collection. I'm glad I dug it up and used it. 

top - Alcali tee + DP s/s 2013 jacket + Maison Martin Margiela x H&M oversized masculine jacket, bottom - DP s/s 2012 'Agra' pants, shoes - DP s/s 2013 sandals

Howell That Ends Well

The boxiness is something I'm quite interested in exploring in my dressing these days. I've been getting a lot of over-sized jackets lately. Big is a huge trend now and it aligns with my style of loose shapes.

top - Margaret Howell tailored jacket + A.P.C. tee, bottom - DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - tabi

Atelier de Production et de Creation

I love A.P.C. the first time I encountered it. I fell in love with its wearability and timeless point of view. I've been a fan since. I have this military jacket I bought a long time ago and up until now I still wear it. A week ago I went thrifting with my friend and scored this light corduroy jacket in black. Honestly, I really don't like corduroy so much especially if it weighs a ton but this jacket is light enough for me to wear even in Cambodia's hot weather. The piece is a welcome addition to my collection of jackets.

top - A.P.C. jacket + Keok'jay tank, bottom - DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - tabi

In Her Language Women Embrace The Masculine

I'm a big fan of Phoebe Philo and no other contemporary designer since Helmut Lang excited me and made me yearn for what surprise she will come up with in her collections for Celine. Yearning because I can see myself wearing her clothes or wishing I designed those or even just being impacted with the way her ideas about dressing feels modern, new and sensible. I've come across, bought and embraced other brilliant designers for their strict vision and point of view. But in Philo I have felt more than that when I see her clothes. It's quite simple at first glance and many of her pieces come from a classic derivation. I guess, it's really the voice and what she wants to tell in her clothes that make it so distinctly clear to me. She speaks the language I understand and makes me strive to better the craft of designing clothes. In the absence of Helmut I found another designer who makes me dream of fashion. 

For pre-fall 2013, the Celine woman continue to play with volume and a bit of over-sized proportions. The spring/summer 2013 collection played with raw details but this new collection returned back to tailoring with feminine touches like pearl buttons and huge brass buckled belts. It's both blown out and then gathered in, at least, that's the silhouette I see. Like an exercise in control and release. My favorite look was the navy cropped tailored jacket on top of a turtleneck and paired with a high-waist pants. I can see myself wearing it minus the turtleneck, I guess. 

You Hold It In And You Let It Loose

I find it interesting to pair something tailored, like this amazing jacket from John Lawrence Sullivan, with something loose and drape-y. The jacket is really giving a classic vibe and my style isn't really strictly that even though I collect a lot of tailored jackets and enjoy wearing it. John Laurence Sullivan is a brand I've been interested in for several seasons now but this jacket is my first piece. Arashi Yanagawa, the founder and designer of the label, was a former professional boxer, thus his label named after a champion boxer from the 1880's. What's interesting about John Laurence Sullivan as a label was how Yanagawa created clothing pieces by mixing diverse inspirations aside from boxing, for example, using industrial materials from aviation and construction. His claim to fame has been the suits, created with all English materials gathered from English houses and factories, and renowned for its sharp cuts and slimming designs – they are also the most wearable parts of his collections and have gathered much international acclaim. 

top - John Lawrence Sullivan tailored jacket + Tiwana shirt, bottom - DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - tabi, accessories - Thomas Sabo skull necklace

I See Through You

top - Imex net zipped tee + DP shirt, bottom - DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - DP s/s 2013 sandals

Articulating Tendencies

These gray jacket and pants were part of my spring/summer 2013 collection which I dubbed 'Tendencies'. It was basically a collection based on several concepts that I've explored in past collections but ultimately still relevant and fascinating for my interest. I've dabbled with raw unfinished seams in some of my pieces before but not as a core concept for this one. I've also used again the same cotton fabric from my fall/winter 2011 collection but this time in black and gray. There was a conscious effort to achieve a worn-out, slouchy, vintage-y feel to the pieces - like it feels part of your wardrobe already, so we washed the pieces by hand. A lot of the pieces were based on ethnic costumes, something I've drawn inspiration extensively, but I usually reduce the essence of the piece into its basic pattern and discard the telling details that mark its provenance. Whether a jacket from China, a shirt from India or pants from Thailand, I like to interpret it in a way that would fit my style. This collection is something that resembles 90 percent of what you can see in my closet. That's why I've been wearing a lot of the pieces everyday. 

top - DP s/s 2013 jacket + E.hypenworld Gallery tee, bottom - DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - tabi, accessories - Maison Martin Margiela x H&M hair lock necklace

The Critical Slide Society

I never thought I'd wear a surf brand but I was smitten by this graphic tee from The Critical Slide Society. The brand was started by Jim Mitchell & Sam Coombes in the east coast of Australia in 2009. Now they are sold in select stores in Canada, Spain, Japan and USA. This particular graphics was done by Jim Mitchell. His works has been exhibited internationally,and published in books & magazines. The brand features graphics from different artists who are steeped in the history of Australian surfing. 

top - The Critical Slide Society tee, bottom - DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - tabi, bag - Y'saacs

An Aesthetics Of Non-diversity

top - Tsumori Chisato, bottom - DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - DP s/s 2013 sandals

Today

I didn't want to erase those things coz no matter how painful and excruciating they are, they deserve the credit for bringing us here today.

Talisman

I wonder how hardcore Margiela fans out there reacted when it was announced that their beloved maison will collaborate with high street behemoth H&M. When it was announced that Comme des Garcons will collaborate with H&M I was intrigued, shocked but also believed that Rei Kawakubo always satisfies her contrarian ways by doing what people, especially those who love her work, didn't expect of her. When news broke about Margiela I was shocked and questioned how will the maison translate its vocabulary to fit in the high street ethos of H&M. The re-edition line was a clever concept. It allows them to basically cherry pick iconic concepts from their history and release it in the H&M assembly line. Quality aside, it allowed both parties to convey something very important. For H&M, they have to be applauded for choosing an avant-garde label. Past collaborators are more mainstream in style and can therefore be predicted to do well in the cash register. Margiela was a gamble for H&M. For Margiela, they have to be applauded for not shunning away from their very conceptual style. I think the maison won a coup by introducing their unconventional spirit to a mass audience who haven't heard of Margiela before. 

This talismanic hair lock necklace was courtesy of my friend Maan. When you wear it you can't help but stroke it with your hand. 

top - Y's Yohji Yamamoto jacket + Maison Martin Margiela AIDS tee, bottom - DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - DP sandals, accessories - Maison Martin Margiela x H&M hair lock necklace

Watching Les Miserables

It was only last year when a real commercial cinema started screening international movies here in Cambodia. Previously it was just Khmer movies and some bootleg copy of old releases. No popcorn, 3D glasses and tweeting about watching the latest flicks. Watching a movie in a real cinema is quite a simple but amazing treat for an escape. I watched with my friends the movie version of Les Miserables and enjoyed it immensely. 

top - E.Hypenworld Gallery tee + Louis Vuitton jacket, bottom - DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - DP s/s 2013 sandals, bag - Zucca, accessories - Maison Martin Margiela x H&M hair lock necklace

Gray Garden

Another shade I'm exploring in my designs is gray. I haven't really used it quite extensively in my early collections but for the past couple of seasons I seem to include a gray section. Gray has a calming effect. It makes you think of lazy days while you sleep in late because the weather is gloomy. I think of days when you have brunch with your friends in your favorite cafe. Gray is casual, not as oppressive as black nor as prestine as white. Gray is the color of the urban jungle that most of us inhabit and it will allow us to blend in and disappear. 

The Margiela AIDS t-shirt I'm wearing was printed using reflectorized paint. When light hit the letters it glows and reflect light.

top - Maison Martin Margiela AIDS tee, bottom - DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - DP s/s 2013 sandals, accessories - ESQ shades + Thomas Sabo skull necklace + metal rings and bracelet

Static Fantastic

I seldom wear printed clothing but this Mink Mossi top captured my eye. It reminds me of tv static. I also like the cut and shape with its generous neckline and armhole. It's a piece I'd be wearing for those days when I just want to look lazy and relaxed. I usually don't have a beach look but I can imagine wearing this at the pool or beach.

top - Mink Mossi, bottom - DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - tabi, bag - Sonia Rykiel, accessories - Thomas Sabo skull necklace

Blown Up Proportion

I never really expected to get any piece from the Maison Martin Margiela x H&M collaboration but thanks

to my friend Ardin and his hoarding ways I have this oversized masculine jacket. It's really the perfect piece for me since I like to wear suit jackets. I love that it's not so heavy although it's fully lined. This particular re-edition jacket is from spring/summer 2000 and that particular collection had garments and accessories transformed by enlargement. The maison's concept brief describe the garments that was presented: a stereotype made up in white cotton to emphasise their basic characteristics of form and introduce an aspect of abstraction and an enlarged version of that stereotype made up in a selection of the most typical fabrics for a garment of its type. These exist in only in size 74. The enlargements included second hand dresses, tops and slips whose form and original size have been transformed by hand rendering a uniform size 74 for all garments. The enveloping silhouette can be quite dramatic and really a conversation starter.  

top - Maison Martin Margiela jacket + DP tee, bottom - DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - tabi, accessories - Thomas Sabo skull necklace

Displaced And Halfway In Between

Ever since August last year I've been traveling the six-hour route between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, alloting some time in the capital for F magazine and rolling back to Siem Reap to recharge and work on my designing projects. The new year starts and I'm back again in Phnom Penh, quite excited to start the new issue of F and also inspired to get my hands dirty for my fall/winter 2013 collection. It's a delicate juggle to perform but I have no choice because I love what I do. I actually feel blessed to be able to do all these things.

 

This photo was taken in Kompong Thom, a city halfway between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

top - E.Hypenworld Gallery, bottom - DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - tabi, bag - Y'saacs, accessories - ESQ shades + Thomas Sabo skull necklace + metal bracelet

New Year Dinner

 

 

We were craving for something different for our new year dinner so Toefi, Eng and moi decided to have it at The Indian.

 

I just have to post a fashion diary for the two because I like what they wore:

 

 

On Toefi: top - white button down shirt, bottom - Yohji Yamamoto, shoes - leather boots, accessories - Bosquejo razor necklace + cap

On Eng: top - DP s/s 2013 vest & top, bottom - black pants, shoes - black boots, accessories - leather cap + watch

Happy New Year Outfit

 

 

top - Comme des Garcons top + E.hypenworld gallery tee, bottom - DP s/s 2013 pants, bag - Jean Paul Gaultier, shoes - DM's, accessories - Thomas Sabo skull necklace + metal bracelet

Next To Normal

The past year was challenging, surprising and full of changes. I'm quite unsentimental about the past and look forward more to what's ahead so I wouldn't even attempt to do 'the year that was' thing. And every day seem to pass by just like that so it's more sensible to make the most of the present than regretting what had happened or worrying about what is to come. Thinking about this makes me see life in a different way. There are bad days and there are good days. I only remain hopeful and hold on to what I believe is true but also keeping an open mind. The unpredictability of life requires for us all to accept that it's the reality we are facing. As they say, expect the unexpected.

top - H&M tee + Street Couture tank, bottom DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - Timberland, bag - Vivienne Westwood, accessories - ESQ shades, Thomas Sabo neclace, wire bracelet