In preparation for spring, fashionistas tend to turn to the looks of previous decades for inspiration, and transform them into cutting-edge modern outfits.

Pre-spring look 1.

Muziq: Frankmusik – Boyfriend

Slouchy silhouette is such a babe for me, it has this laid-back, loungy vibe about it…  Add a pair of platform boots and dark leggings or tights – e voila, you have your perfectly cool, easy to wear out-in-the-town outfit.

I’m into double-dressing at the moment, therefore – two dresses: the navy sequined one I got from UK as far back as 2005 – and I still adore it. It is rather club wear, but can be easily dressed down for some urban chic – as here, layered with a denim shirt-dress.

Pics by me.

Wearing: navy dress with sequin detail, Miss Selfridge; stone-washed denim shirt-dress, Mango; leggings, Only; lace-up platform booties from local store.

Refinery29 effectively captured my heart with this winter street style post, showcasing a few beauties cavorting around during Stockholm fashion week who are setting a serious creative standard. Eccentric, but elegant – I love it!

Photos by Mr. Newton. Plenty of eye candy at the original post, and more exciting coverage of the Stockholm Fashion Week proceedings here.

I love clothes, and I love fashion. I am the quintessential “clothes-horse”. Despite its ephemeral nature, fashion remains one of life’s great joys for millions of people. Many other people, however, tend to see any focus on fashion as shallow. In many ways, I agree with this viewpoint. There are so many more important and pressing issues that deserve our time and attention. But as far as aesthetics, creativity, and fun go, fashion is certainly up there for me. And fashion isn’t just the perfect air-brushed models that you see in the pages of magazines and in store ads, it’s all around us, making statements wherever you go, whether intentional or unintentional. One of my current obsessions is a fantastic website that I found via StumbleUpon. It consists of pictures upon pictures of ordinary people wearing extraordinary fashions that they put together themselves without the help of a highly paid Hollywood stylist. I hope that for those of you who don’t know of this site already, you’ll give it a chance. And if you like what you see, you should check back every day, because the creativity showcased on this site grows a little more every day. Enjoy!

http://lookbook.nu/

Lucia

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=40025587

I just love this distressed style print I found matched up with sturdy cotton duck! Layers of quilted lining & fleece make this a protective bag for your expensive gadgets!

Thanks
mary
hoganfe handmade
handbag originals

Mr. Oizo – Erreur Jean

Crookers – Cooler Couler (ft. Yelle)

These beautiful images are from Takuya Angel, a relatively small fashion brand with a devoted fan following. Takuya Angel is unusual in that it combines elements of traditional Japanese and contemporary clothing. Pieces are adapted for a modern lifestyle using bright colors and unexpected materials like polyester, velvet and fur. Takuya Angel has also been influenced anime and manga, inspired by a fresh depiction of the past seen in series like Samurai Champloo.

For a while people have anticipated a revival in traditional Japanese clothing as street-wear, but despite the hype it seems like this is a trend that’s still a long way away from going mainstream, Martin Webb wrote an article on this subject for the Japan Times: Kimono Revival: In Skeptical Quest of a Boom chronicling his frustration in trying to “find” this elusive trend. So is there a trend at all?

That probably depends on who you ask. Pioneers like Mamechiyo and Jotaro Saito in the kimono world are working hard to redefine the kimono as everyday clothing, while on the other side of the fence fashion brands like Takuya Angel and Sou-Sou have started incorporating traditional elements into contemporary street-wear. While no designer seems to have been able to fully bridge this gap, these are not the people behind this trend at all. Instead it’s the increasing amount of girls chopping, changing and wearing their grandmothers’ kimonos – giving second-hand clothing another lease on life. I think this grass-level trend may just be getting started.

Pics are by Brendan Daniel from his Flikr Account, and for Askew Magazine. You can also check out Takuya Angel’s official website here.

Gademode, or also called “Street Fashion” in english, is a Danish version of Facehunter. I was in my own little world, sucking on a juice brick till someone asked me: “Hey! Can I take a picture of you for Gademode?”, and  I was like: Fuck yeah, bitch. Finally!!, but instead I said “yes, indeed”.

It’s so funny finding yourself on the web like that. I thought I would hate the picture, but it turned out pretty neat afterall. Thanks Mathias!

I’ve been back in Sydney for just over a week now and what have I done? Nothing :p That’s what heat does to you, it makes you lazy, well, that’s my excuse anyway. I’ve caught up with family and friends, caught up on all the new restaurants and shops that opened up while I was away. I’ve missed the Sydney vibe and you know what I’m almost surprised at how stylish and hip Sydney-siders are! How quickly one forgets. I’m surprised to see the amazingly bad fashion in department stores and the amazingly good fashion in small boutiques. The distance of Australia from the rest of the world serves both as an advantage and disadvantage. On one hand we get trends a few seasons late or they don’t come to our shores at all, on the other hand our laid back lifestyle and the lack of trends create something completely unique. I am so happy to see the smaller and the budding Australian labels doing their own things and doing it so well.

I’m glad to see vintage is still big but not done in obvious ways, I don’t see girls wearing grandma dresses for the sake of wearing vintage anymore. Let’s be honest, not many girls can pull off a vintage sack…

I took a walk around Surry Hills today and a few quick snaps. Summer it makes you dress lazy but lazy doesn’t have to be boring.

I used to be completely against denim on demin, as in a denim jacket with jeans, on girls or guys. However I think I’ve changed my mind, I think when it’s done well it can be a great look. And today, I got two looks that double up on denim and I got to say both look great.

I’ve recently become a huge fan of denim shirt with jeans (see second photo), so I’ve been scouting the perfect denim shirt, but I simply can’t bear the idea of paying over $50 for a new one when I know I can find a nice worn in second hand one. Well guess I got some scouting to do then.

Happy hunting, happy summer!

I always wanted to write that.

Although I’ve never been to Paris, it is one of my top destinations. And after looking at the street fashion pix from this week’s Couture…let’s just say I want to be there ASAP. Oh so tempted into booking a side-trip to Paris for this summer. I mean I will be in Spain….France is right there….

Btw, to be honest, sometimes I look forward to fashion week not just for the runway clothes but for the fashion of the attendees/workers/journalists/photogs. There’s just something about fashion week that brings out the best in people.

Wearable fashion rocked on the streets, what’s not to like?

The world is your runway after all.

You better werq the hell out of it.

xoxo,

L

Photos: Tommy Ton shoots Paris Couture Week for Style.com

The office is now steaming ahead with preparations for the annual Nihongo Fiesta to be held at the SM Mall of Asia on Saturday, February 27.  It’s all things Japan with the good Pinoy stuff blended in.

It’s been meetings left and right, negotiations, a lot of please-s and more thank-yous. It’s energizing to be working with dependable partners and newfound allies. I hope that it will be a smooth run to the finish line.

Let me tell you about this year’s Nihongo Fiesta, which by the way, wouldn’t be possible without SM’s generous support.

When the SM Mall of Asia opens on February 27, Saturday, we hope to see you there bright and early because we’ll be having the 37th Nihongo Speech Contest, as the first offering of the Nihongo Fiesta, at the Cinema 2. Hear Filipino Nihongo learners deliver their speeches in Japanese and see if you can guess what they are talking about.

I once was able to observe the contest and some of the speeches really get dramatic. Nothing like a heartfelt story to tug on the judges’ hearts… but then, what is nerve-wracking is the question and answer portion. You know how it is. Answering questions during contests are precarious — and this is in English or Filipino. What more if it is in Nihongo?! Ayayay.

The 2nd Nihongo Quiz Bee for High School Student follow right after the speech contest. Nihongo learners should find this activity fun and educational.

The awarding of the winners of the Nihongo Speech Contest and Quiz Bee will be done at the Main Mall Atrium of the SM Mall of Asia. It’s a big deal because two winners of the speech contest will be given an all-expense paid trip ticket to Japan. The Quiz Bee winners will be awarded trophies and medals.

Still another contest will be awarded at this time — the Street Fashion Contest. We’ll be posting the details on how to join this contest but basically this activity involves all the SM MOA mall-goers. Cosplayers usually come by to our events in their finery, but in this occasion we hope to showcase street fashion — curb allusions to Naruto or any manga character, okay? We’re still refining the criteria and process of this contest but we’ll announce it very soon! Just expect the prices to be sugoi.

The Street Fashion Contest is a complementary activity to the Japanese-Filipino Street Fashion Exhibition, which will feature photos from the Japan Fashion Association (for the Japanese sets) and Cecile Zamora van Straten and Jujiin Samonte (for all the Filipino and some Tokyo sets), curated by Team Manila! Pangalan pa lang, exciting na! Expect a dynamic exhibit on  Japanese and Manila Youth culture and lifestyle.

The cherry in the sundae, which is the Nihongo Fiesta, is the J-Rock Concert featuring Shonen Knife and Pedicab.

Shonen Knife is a rock phenomenon that has inspired many all-girl rock bands — I remember hearing their rendition of a Carpenters song and bobbing my head furiously, headbang I think it was called during that time… hehehe. And with Pedicab sharing the stage with them, it’s bound to be fun. Would they play together? You got to be there to find out. Ika nga, see and hear (in person) to appreciate

Ahhh… my bones… get ready.

Can I live?

— Miss Ellaneous

Hey hey fire fighters! I have some fashion heat for your wintry day.

Here is Part Trois of the Sidewalk Runway. In case this is your first time visiting the site, this section of my blog features the personal daily style of individuals. You can see the diversity and flawless execution of everyday style from these street strutters. Of course these are some of my personal favorites, so there is some bias . But each of these pictures were picked for some random reason, so I had to post them.

Send me your pictures of your everyday wear and I will post them!! Be a part of the movement, come play with FIRE!

Flannels have been in for a while now, and I don’t see them going anywhere anytime soon. That said, when it comes to quality flannels in the dopest patterns/colorways, count on The Hundreds. Oh, and if you want to be tricked into buying a flannel that’s supposed to be high quality but actually just shrinks and shrivels up and turns into a 3/4 sleeve belly flannel even when you do everything in your power to make sure it doesn’t, shop Penfield.

Cop the above here (on sale).

Look, don’t touch.

— Miss Ellaneous