Ten Thousand Calories

“This was not a fairy tale, this was the real, the adult world in which frogs did not address princesses, and the only messages were the ones that people sent.” Ian McEwan, Atonement

She is one of those rare people who are so different from others. Trying to categorize her is like trying to argue with some headstrong individuals — just impossible, and something to avoid. Is she a punk, a pacifist or an introverted? Perhaps an environmentalist or a rebel?

Everyday she would board the 1 train at Penn Station at the break of dawn. The coordinator would nod his recognition at her, yet she would not show any sign of recognizing her surroundings. Not that it matters. Despite her lack of communication, regular riders enjoy her lurking presence in the corner of the carriage. She's just there, a beautiful and delicate being that you want to stay away from, yet to understand at the same time.

photo source: tumblr, weareglitter, luluandyourmom

Recap of Spring 2012 Haute Couture Collections

Despite the unfortunate event of recession and economy taking a deep dive, the haute couture industry is still going strong, both financially and aesthetically. As an industry that values intricacy and attention to details, this season emphasize the weight of different fabrics and materials. Yes, I do know that New York Fashion Week just started today. No, I don't really care. 

Georges Hobeika — Although my favourite quote "Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking"does not necessarily apply here, "Flowers? For haute couture spring collection? Groundbreaking" certainly does.   All jokes aside, I'm actually in love with the collection since it reminds me so much of the spring 2011 collection of Chanel Haute Couture. I know, I know — so two seasons ago, whatever. Hobeika used details like fake dangling flower pedals to create the illusion of artistically torn and shredded pieces of fabric. Layering pretty fabrics can be really pretty! I would say that this collection is very Great Gatsby-esque but that sounds so stupid when you think about it. After all, pretty embroidery =/= Great Gatsby-inspired.

Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci — Gone were the days of romantic and angelic dresses. Despite being influenced by the Roaring Twenties and the Deco Era, this haute couture collection is very dark, very tough and very unconventional. In another word, very Lisbeth Salander-Rooney Mara. I can practically imagine your automatical-eyeroll at the mention of Rooney but I can't resist — she's a flawless human being! And she has cute dimples too! Moving on, the whole collection is build on crocodile skin, fine silk tulle and jersey along with chunky zippers spreading haphazardly across the fabrics. It's accessorized with "nose rings the size of their face and earrings so heavy they have to be held together by an invisible headband," as Alice of Fashionista.com had described. Embroidered with spikes and beads, it creates a simple silhouette, yet draws attention to the figure at the same time. Fashion can be full of paradoxes sometimes. It's unexpected and far from what I had possibly imagined — perhaps Tisci would continue the romantic direction, I thought naively — but since when was Riccardo Tisci expected and close to what you imagine? 

I can't really have anything against this subversive and totally fetch collection other than that annoying basketball in the lower right corner, because now I can't help but imagine these models playing basketball while wearing haute couture. Having a great imagination can be troubling sometimes. Beep beep shameless self-bragging. 

Stephane Rolland — Sophistication and quirkiness does mix when it comes in a palette of black, white, red and lime green. Despite its lack of any intricate embroidery that takes more than hundreds or hours — as seen in Givenchy — Rolland achieve the same level of delicacy by defining a waist silhouette with shapes on the shoulders and/or the sleeves. Inspired by the art of Michel Deverne, the collection is full of spiral structures and volumes that one tends to associate with pagodas and Asian temples. With the help of fabrics like organza, chiffon and ostrich feathers the assembles are sharp — silhouette-wise — but softened with the help of elegant fabrics. The tasteful gold embellishments and accessories, along with the cutout gloves, are not groundbreaking or anything, are innovative on its own rights. This is like an eye orgasm right there, ugh.

Iris Van Herpen — Think alienated-silhouettes and what do you get? Alexander McQueen spring 2010 Iris Van Herpen's spring 2012 haute couture collection, obviously. I mean, duh. "For me fashion is an expression of art that is very closely related to myself and to my body. I see it as my expression of identity combined with desire, mood and cultural setting," said the designer on her work and collections. Looking past the simple, neutral palette, Van Herpen used avant-garde materials such as leather, synthetic boat rigging, Plexiglas or the whalebones of children's umbrellas to create a futuristic collection that highlights the female body with a sculptural effect.

photo source: nowfashion

Fashion Universe is Still Not Over Cats

Not that it is a bad thing — I'm a cat lady, remember? Anyway, former-Spice Girl and currently-designer Victoria Beckham had launched her new lower-priced line Victoria, Victoria Beckham this season. To build up hype around the collection, which will be release in mid February by the way *wink wink*, Ms.Victoria had tapped Quentin Jones to directed the fashion film. It's filled with cats, quirkiness and simple dress that would appeal to both girls and women alike. Not surprising, since Beckham had said that “For the Victoria line I wanted to appeal to a slightly younger audience – super chic but with a sense of humour and an edge and that’s exactly what Quentin brought to the creative process. I really wanted to capture the essence of the playful feminine character at the heart of the collection and Quentin has realised that for me in her unique, innovative style.” Perhaps one of the best fashion films in 2012 yet?

Test Tubes Are Not Just for Chemistry

Here the words "test tube," and your mind instantly think of that chemistry class you had aced or failed, or mad scientists from those cheesy movies in the 80s. Same thing to me, until I saw these chandeliers made out of test tubes. Wait, what? That defies all logic! Test tubes are only limited to cosmetic factories in New Jersey and mixing vinegar with baking soda! Wrong wrong wrong!

Designer Pani Jurek thinks that objects should not only be functional, but also engaging in some way. Hence why you should hand test tubes over your head — to put weird things like shiny rocks you pick up from the streets and legitimate unicorn fossils. Or you can just hang plants because you are too cheap to buy real pots it saves space and creates a wonderful environment to live in.

photo source: trendland

Money is the Anthem of Success So Before We Go Out, What's Your Address?

Fine, I admit it — I didn't jump onto the Lana Del Rey bandwagon until Nusardel posted about her(I'm convinced that you're reading this. Um, thanks? I'm so glad that I have a friend with good taste in music?) and "Born To Die" exploded on Tumblr. Now, use your imagination and imagine me watching the videos on her YouTube channel for 23094720 times while silently weeping about quality music these days. Autotuning or talking are not considered as music *side eyes at Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry*

I read this article from New Yorker a while ago and I have a lot of strong feelings thoughts about it, especially these sentences in particular —

"Why is pop music the only art form that still inspires such arrantly stupid discussion? The debates that surround authenticity have no relationship to popular music as it’s been practiced for more than a century. Artists write material, alone or with assistance, revise it, and then present a final work created with the help of professionals who are trained for specific and relevant production tasks. This makes popular music similar to film, television, visual art, books, dance, and related areas like food and fashion. And yet no movie review begins, “Meryl Streep, despite not being a Prime Minister, is reasonably convincing in ‘The Iron Lady.’ ” 

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"'Born to Die' is full of rubbery, well-formed melodies and harmonic richness—who cares who wrote much of it—but the character of Del Rey, authentic or not, is so inconsistent that she fades from view, into her own photo spread."

Why does people argue about pop music like it's politics? Music is important, but it's not like anyone is going to die or get run over by a car if the artists don't create the songs themselves. Besides you probably listen to music to feel good about yourself, not because it's "cool" or "hipster" or on top of the charts. If you are, then you're probably a hipster-wannabe douchebag who cares too much about what other people thinks. At the end, does the critics' opinion even matter? Can't you make up your own mind whether you like it or not?

That was a long introduction. Here's what I think of the whole album —

Born To Die is very retro, very 50's, very pin-up girl. Although all the songs are slightly repetitive(I still can't tell them apart. Food for thought: it's like Born This Way expect the songs are... different?), they are intriguing without being overly difficult to understand. Soulful without being an Amy Winehouse, or the soundtrack to a James Bond movie. You lot had probably listened to Video Games or Blue Jeans or Born To Die so much times you can't even count, but National Anthem and Off To The Races are surprising dirty. I mean, Lolita references! "Light of my life, fire of my loins!" "Baby, put on heart-shaped sunglasses cause we gonna take a ride." Please excuse my absence while I listen to Dark Paradise and cry for the rest of my life.

This is longer than I thought What are you even doing here? Listen to Born To Die already.

Don't be a cheapo, just be a queen → buy Born To Die here or listen on Spotify