Chains Draped Layers

One of my favorite piece to wear is this Y's Yohji Yamamoto oversized tank top. I got it in a thriftshop in Siem Reap. My necklace, a crochet chain from A.N.D., is my new favorite. The label partners with Wathan Artisans Cambodia, a worker-run cooperative of Cambodian artisans with disabilities.

 

top - Y's Yohji Yamamoto tank + Calvin Klein tee, bottom - DP dropcrotch pants, shoes - Converse, accessories - A.N.D. crochet chain necklace + Kinggor pixelated frames

Ethnic Minimalist Margielic

I got this traditional cotton wrap top from my friend Danny. Like me, he favors neutral and monotone colors like black, white and gray. I think he got this top from one of his travels. I'm not really sure where because it can be from China, Thailand or even here in Cambodia. I see similar tops being sold here but more in bright colors or printed fabrics. It's really very comfy and I wouldn't mind getting more in black or gray. It's a piece that works in the weather here. Danny also gave me this Margiela boots from the H&M collaboration and I thought it's perfect to tone down the 'ethnic' vibe of the top. Overall, I still want to look urban.

top - cotton wrap shirt, bottom - DP dropcrotch, shoes - Maison Martin Margiela x H&M, accessories - Kinggor pixelated frames

Punk Ninja

I commissioned Waterlily to make me a nose ring for a shoot I did. We came up with an Indian-inspired version. So it was perfect to use after when I attended the fashion show of Cambodia-based label, Punk Couture by [cgbcn]. The collection that was presented had the Japanese samurai as their take-off point mixed with punk and deconstructionist sensibility. I wanted to convey the same spirit of style but mixed with my own flair. Everyone kept asking me where I got it and one of my friend, a textile designer, even commissioned one for herself because she liked it so much. Needless to say, I got a lot of attention that night and I'll be lying if I say I didn't enjoy it.

top - Another Place tee + DP top, bottom - DP pants + Uniqlo skirt, shoes - tabi, accessories - Kinggor pixelated frames + Waterlily nose ring + spike cuffs

LV For Less

I'm not really an LV kind of guy and I don't collect bags from that label unlike my unhealthy obsession with Y'saacs or the Jeremy Scott x Longchamp collab. Anyhoot, I was thrifting a few moons ago and I was lucky to have arrived in the thriftshop while they were unloading a huge sack of bags. On top of the pile was this Louis Vuitton Keepall 45 and still in good condition except a broken leather lock tag on the zipper and the missing lock&key. There's no major tear except for the usual signs of usage and the changed patina of the leather sections. It was selling for $25 and, although it's a little bit expensive to pay for a thrifted bag here in Cambodia, I'm pretty sure I can't buy that piece for the same amount anywhere else. Although it's a little bit difficult to work around its color, I'm really not a brown person, but I've been using it quite regularly to shoots if I needed to lug stuff. Slowly I'm acquiring more 'brown' pieces like a few Celine and Yves Saint Laurent bags. It's a good foil in looking less serious and morbid especially if you have the predilection for wearing somber tones, like me.

top - Tsumori Chisato tee + DP frayed vest, bottom - DP, shoes - tabi, accessories - Louis Vuitton Keepall 45 + Kinggor pixelated frames

Keep Comme And Carry On

I needed to 'understand' this Comme des Garcons dress so I decided to make it work with my style. I still don't understand why there are random asymmetrical elastic ruching on the dress. That's Rei for you.

top - Tsumori Chisato tee + Comme des Garcons dress, bottom - DP pants, shoes - Converse, accessories - Kinggor pixelated shades

Predator

I don't wear that much animal print, nor some busy kind of print often. But I made an exception with this tee because it's much more neutral in tone and there's a sort of trompe l'oeil happening. I think it's witty to have the leopard sorta blend in with the rest of the print as it goes hunting. After all, the real test for a predator is how to blend in your surroundings and surprise your victim. Very much true in the cut-throat world we live in. Question is, are you the predator or the victim?

top - Neville&Neville tee, bottom - Uniqlo skirt + DP s/s 2013 pants, shoes - tabi, accessories - A.N.D. crochet chain necklace + Kinggor pixelated frames

Not Quite Black, Not Quite Blue

This midnight blue Y's Yohji Yamamoto can be at times black on certain light. It's one of my recent Y's find from the thriftshop.

top - Zucca shirt + Y's Yohji Yamamoto double breasted tailored jacket, bottom - EDITED, shoes - Kenzo, accessories - pixalated frames from Kinggor

 

Some Things Feel Better With Time

Like this Vivienne Westwood top and my jacket from s/s 2013 with tattered details. I found the VW top in Iloilo and I've worn it countless of times and it feels softer more and more. I plan to wear it until it is totally wrecked, strewn with holes and tears. I think it's much more lovely that way. My jacket has frayed details on the sleeves and hem because I wanted to imbibe that same nostalgia of decay when I designed the collection it came from. And with constant washing and more use it gets frayed more in this softer fringe. I don't know if it's only in my head but I find those details give more humanity to how you look. That's why I don't mind a little bit of imperfection in what I wear.

 

top - Vivienne Westwood Man draped tank + DP s/s 2013 jacket, bottom - DP, shoes - Converse, accessories - pixelated frames from Kinggor

Variations Of The Same Sorts

I've always got this affinity for something draped, trailing, some excess fabrics and little bits of off-kilter elements in what I wear. I can't remember how it started or why I've been favoring such look. I always needed some random element to destroy the whole straightforward classicism of dressing even though I favor a very minimalist tone. Someone described my way of dressing as 'post-gothic' but I've never understood the movement nor have any inclinations for melancholic musings or dark fascination, which to me is what most goths are preoccupied with. Or that's what I think they are preoccupied with. I like Japanese designers and Belgian designers but if you know me my greatest obsession is Helmut Lang. And Helmut was never the drape-y sort. Yes, he was the destroyed, trailing-behind-my-back-excess-fabric kind of guy but never the 'Yohji-esque' type. Actually, I only got into Yohji and Comme des Garcons when I understood their process. It wasn't love at first sight thing. I was more into Ann Demeulemeester and her 'practical' clothing propositions. So yeah, I was just thinking about all these things as I was looking at this photo above. Not that I'm really bent on analyzing my style coz who knows what I will wear tomorrow. Preppy might be my new black.

 

top - Ouki tee + DP draped top, bottom - DP, shoes - tabi, accessories - pixelated shades

 



The Burden Around Your Neck

Lately, I've been looking out for accessories like small bags and belts in the thriftshop. This small Celine bag is one of my finds recently. Don't you think it's cute? There's really nothing much it can hold except my Blackberry, keys and a few folds of money. I decided to wear it like a necklace because it's more interesting that way. I think I can also use it like a belt bag, too. I'll try it next time.

top - Eairth, bottom - EDITED, shoes - Converse, accessories - Celine bag

Shrunken Jacket

 

 

 

 

If it fits I'll wear it even though it looks like it's made for a little boy.

 

top - Lad Musician jacket + Another Place tee, pants - DP, shoes - Y's Yohji Yamamoto

 

I Kansai It Is Good

I resisted buying this Kansai Yamamoto jacket at first thinking it's too 'normal' compared to his more colorful stuff. But I kept thinking about it and when I got back and saw it again I decided to get it. It's very lightweight and cool to wear, actually. The fabric is a bit loosely woven and it's unlined. Very Japanese in sensibility.

top: Kansai Yamamoto Homme jacket + Zucca top, bottom - DP, shoes - tabi, accessories - pixelated shades from Kinggour

Pixelated

I was loitering around one night with a friend after we attended an anniversary party by a shoe brand. We ended up going inside Kinggour, a wasteland for random stuff, mostly fashion accessories made in China. Most are quite cheap and nice while some are ridiculously expensive. I ended up buying this pixelated frames which I've been looking for ever since I saw it being worn by a contestant in a K-pop competition. Now I've been wearing it almost everyday.

top - H&M tee + GOMME printed asymmetrical cardigan, bottom - DP, shoes - tabi, accessories - pixelated frames by Bertinho.K.B2

Red Lines

top - Tsumori Chisato tee + Uniqlo linen jacket, pants - DP, shoes - tabi, accessories - Guy Laroche eyewear

Sesame Noodles

 

 

Christine, moi and Soap, the un-official endorsers of Sesame Noodles.

 

My favorite Fatty Sesame Noodles.

Sesame Choco Bombs. 'Nough said. 

 

 

One of my favorite place to have lunch in Phnom Penh is this hole-in-wall Japanese restaurant called Sesame Noodles, a walking distance from the Russian Market. I discovered it when I was reading Asia Life magazine and at that time I was able to drag Soap to try it. We were pleasantly surprised because we liked their house special, a choice of green or yellow chewy noodles on a bed of veggies topped with either caramelized grounded pork or the 'fatty' one. A special tahini sauce is served on the side so you can adjust it to taste. Usually, I just pour everything in and revel in its creamy, salty goodness. You can order it in a lunch set special with either a gyoza, pork buns (MUST-TRY!) or a fruit shake. They have other stuff like tofu and fried chicken, which I haven't tried. Their menu selection is quite edited and fits in a half sheet of A4 paper. They are currently open from only 11am to 2pm but I talked to the friendly Japanese owner and she plans to open in the evening, too. Hope they open soon!

Linen

I got this linen jacket from Uniqlo because I like how it looks wrinkly and creased. And it's not expensive but tailored well. Despite some people bemoaning the supposed technical issues with high street brands like Uniqlo, H&M, and Topshop, it can't be denied that these labels bring a democratizing option for people to wear fashion at affordable prices. With my kind of style, Uniqlo is a wasteland when I want something basic to layer to my usual stuff. I especially like their socks and tees.

 

top - Yohji Yamamoto tank + Uniqlo linen jacket, pants - EDITED, shoes - Converse

Messy Hair

I just wanted messy hair to go with my usual 'uniform'. My friends noticed so I guess it worked. Not that it's good or bad but for me it's more about the little something that you adapt to make your style a little bit different. It's much more interesting that way.

top - Zucca, bottom - DP, shoes - tabi, accessories - Guy Laroche eyewear

Yellow

I seldom wear yellow but I do like it as a color. So I was happy to find this vintage Calvin Klein shirt dress from the 70's  in yellow - a time when he was exploring his clean, sportswear-inspired aesthetic. Looking at this piece it's timeless and quite still very now. When minimalism exploded in the 90's it was quiet natural for Calvin Klein to reign supreme and become one of the figurehead of the movement towards a pared-down sensibility.

 

top - Calvin Klein, bottom - DP, shoes - tabi, accessories - Guy Laroche eyewear + rings from Poetry

Those Regular Normal Days

 

 

top - Muji, bottom - DP, shoes - Converse, accessories - Maison Martin Margiela x H&M hairlock necklace