behind the scene with theola.

meet theola.

she's such a sweetie, not to mention a beauty, too. she's one of agnes' relatives and quite a natural model, seen from the way she posed as i directed. the photography session with theola took 4 different spots, all where i had also been photographed before, but the concepts were made completely different.

full coverage of theola's photography session will be posted soon. so, stay tuned, everybody! :)

here's my outfit for that day.

dickens knit sweater/ topshop basic black tank top (worn underneath)/ rusty acid-washed denim shorts/ rotelli boots

 

as usual, i'd love to extend many thank yous for all of the supports and love, not to mention many of the encouragements for my writing in the last posts. all of them definitely keep my spirit up!!

sorry for the late replies to the comments, too, i've been quite busy lately. the deadlines of the end-of-term projects are drawing near. wish me luck!

happy weekends, everyone! :)

emotional surfaces.

"don't let it show when you're upset or mad. just don't let people know about your dark mood.";
"don't be too curious about people, learn to trust them eventhough you may get yourself disappointed in the end."; and
"don't be afraid. life's not a free-fall state of grace."


i smiled secretly as you finished saying those to me. may this be our farewell, i'd like to thank you for the change you've brought into my life, new journeys you've had me intrigued with.

shortly said, honestly, you're perhaps one of those precious agents of change for me. the day i saw you was like the day i started convince myself that i had found myself a man worthwhile; meeting and knowing you is a bliss altogether. there, my dear, you're being called precious by most of the people for reasons. (i'd hate to say "for a reason" because you can never be justified so starkly- you're never black and white, you're sometimes gray, yet dark enough to be considered black).

like any other human, there are also times when you're being so stubborn, chosen to have one ears instead of two; you weren't listening to any of them, just waiting for your slot to talk. regarding that, my dear, i'd rather choose not to complaint because your positive points still outweigh the negative ones. only jealous ones would bring them into issues.

just at the time i'm about to cry my last farewell, your tap on my shoulder had successfully lighten the sadness a bit. you told me;

 

"keep up your simplicity."
"never lose your heart of compassion." and;
"stop carrying other people's burdens on your small shoulders."

he had seen through my blindfolds. now it's getting harder to let go, but time has no mercy. when it runs, it runs. it would never stop. why have i just realized it now that i couldn't alter any of those fates?

 

photography by devina

makeup by agnes subana

editing by me

modified vintage motorcycle vest/ topshop basic black tank top/ suzuya graphic tie/ DIY cutoff high-waist shorts/ DIY ripped over-the-knee tights/ rotelli boots/ accessories: all thrifted, agnes' spiked headpiece.

the full coverage of the last preview.

the makeup was kind of goth-inspired, and i personally find the black lipcolor very interesting, although a bit intimidating in quite an unexplainable way. don't take the lipcolor wrongly; it wasn't lipstick. agnes was very creative for having made the black eyeliner + black eyeshadow +  lipgloss combo. ever since our first meeting not so long time ago, she never stops keeping me impressed with her over-the-top makeup skills. 

i also find the darkened eyelids very mysterious. the slight hints of dark blue shades (here, navy and indigo blue), combined with a bit of emerald green; well, i could almost fantasize being in a world where muted tones are. the result was very surreal for me. again, it's a matter of feeling which i couldn't really explain.

the story was life-inspired. haha. seriously. goodbyes are sad, and here i was more than willing to make them sound beautiful by having those poetic words arranged. the second sentence from the first three quotations was really spoken by someone i know. he's totally admirable. 

anyway, thank youuuu so much for all of your supports. i love reading every single comments all of you had written for me, and i always try my best to catch up with all of you. i really like reading many other blogs, here i'd love to extend my thank yous for your great blogs. they're widening my knowledge in fashion and art, not to mention great sources of inspirations!

so, let's share more, my friends!

jean paul gaultier haute couture 2010.

i love haute couture seasons. i love how the runway shows are filled with stare-worthy clothes and of course, i find too many enviable clothes to drool at. just like this 2010 couture collection by jp gaultier:

i could instantly read that either pirates, gladiators, or amazon warriors may be his sources of inspiration the first time i watched the show on ftv. i didn't know anything about the trueness of the fact until i read in style.com that gaultier had just visited an exhibition about monteczuma, the emperor of aztec, last year in london, and that was the reason why he had steered the collection into the eco-tribal direction.

here are my favorites, the armored dresses:

although i'm not that convinced that women (even those of rabid fashion-worshippers type) would really wear them on the streets or to parties, i still have to admit that those dresses are sick cool. just... insane. well, on second thought, they'd (me, too) perhaps wouldn't mind raiding the one worn by anja rubik:

because, well, it is just too beautiful, of course!

my favorite karlie kloss closed the show, too:

the fan could actually make sound everytime it is being waved. karlie waved it several times so show the effects of the fan to the audience.

right after her, there was also the iconic arielle dombasle lip-synched to a song. that was right before she appeared with gaultier on the stage, sealed the whole show.

(all images credit to style.com)

what do you love about haute couture seasons? i'd be pleased to read all of your opinions and thoughts! :)

the f-cking princess tag.

ever since my past friendster days, getting tagged by someone else has always been fun for me. here i was tagged by zi of f-cking glitter to answer these questions about my favorite books and writer:

my favorite book until today is your best life now, written by the famous pastor joel osteen of lakewood church. (faithWords, 2004) although not many had thrown critics toward the book, i myself find those positive words and declarations of faith as very inspiring ones. 

the one i remember until today is his suggestion on finding a place to dream, to nourish your visions and build optimistic views for a great future ahead.

fashion-wise, this book by nina garcia titled the one hundred (harpercollins, 2008) is also like my second bible. i also adore the illustration by ruben toledo. he's really talented! 

perhaps this was one of the reasons why i'm in love with fashion until today. i told you already, my passion in fashion is newly-found! ;)

my favorite writer is tracy chevalier, the one who wrote the famous girl with a pearl earring (harpercollins, 1999), a complicated fictional slight-romance story between griet the maid and the iconic 40s dutch painter johannes vermeer. i love the way she described things; a bit poetical, but meaningful enough to be understood.

now to the part about what do i love and hate in common:

i love everything about art and poetry. i enjoy seeing things in a very different way, and i really like the facts that things are not actually as simple as they are in the surface. 

i love rainy weather, too, i love sleeping when it rains. i prefer very sunny weather for holidays.

i hate... well, quite common. two-faced people and those who are hard to tell. those whose words i can't really trust, or those who thinks that there are always justifications for their wrong doings. i really dislike lack of inspiration, too.

now, i'd tag whoever like to be tagged; and if any of you have done so, please kindly link me to your entry. i'd love to know more about all of you! :)

preview: goth-inspired makeup.

the concept of this photography is "punk princess", so we came out with the idea of blackening the lips. the eyelids were also darkened to draw more attention to the face. moreover, the highlights and shadings were quite exaggerated; their main power was the glossy powder. the colors were not made rich, too; while black plays the dominating shade, navy blue, indigo and a touch of emerald green had also joined the darkness crew.

full entry to be uploaded soon. :)

february blogger feature: interview with kim of ice age heat wave ♥

kim is the brilliant mind behind the blog ice age heat wave. this month's feature was based on my own observations about the blog's interesting life-inspired stories, accompanied with picture-esque pictures that somehow complement the whole entry.

this was the story i first read the first time i visited her blog. i'm legally amazed since then. i keep tracks of every of her new entries, waiting on what intrigues up next. alright, i'm sure now you're all already curious about her, and where she gets those creativity, yes? 

here's my interview with her. :)

where do your inspirations come from?
i get inspiration from my own life, and all the crazy people that inhabit it. and from great writers i admire. i also get inspiration from music and movies. and stories i read in newspapers. crimes.

in what kind of moments you’re usually fully inspired, and vice versa; what kind of moments that you usually find it hard to get inspired?
i feel inspired late and night and when i travel to new places or when i am driving through the desert. and when my heart is broken. lucky for me it almost always is. i am usually not inspired (to write) in the morning or even the daytime. and never at school, when i was in school.

who are your favorite writers?
my all time favorite writer just died, and that's j.d salinger. i also like the japanese writer haruki murakami. and i love this illustrated novel by lynda barry called "cruddy." and i like some classics, like f. scott fitzgerald and oscar wilde.

from them, who do you like best/ find the most inspiring?
i would have to say j.d. salinger.

how does s/he affect your writing style today?
i always write in first person. or almost always.

any tips for our blogger friends who has passion for writing, or wants to kick-start writing?
just do it. you can't wait for inspiration. you just have to force your fingers to move across the keyboard even if nothing good comes out. eventually a little piece of beauty will come. hold on to that, expand on it.

more about kim, you can visit her blog or find her on facebook.

to everyone:

i've planned to make a monthly blog feature, starting this month. starting next month, all features will be posted right on the final date of the month. featured blogs will be chosen from blogs i like, or blogs of your suggestions. you can suggest me your favorite blogs here. blogs can be of varied themes, they don't have to be fashion or fashion-related blogs. :)

thank you so much. have a nice day everyone! 

new posts are on the way. pardon my irregular updates. been quite busy lately. :)

our first photography session.

some old pictures from my photography archives. :)















photography and editing by devina

all outfit and accessories by mango/ vintage lace-up boots

all of these pictures were taken before i and devina started this blog. these pictures were taken for the mango "think up" contest back in november 2009. just in case you're wondering, i won the 27th consolation prize out of 50. :)

i'd also like to say happy belated valentine's day for everyone. thank you for your supports and comments and for those inspirations all of you have shared with me in your blogs. they all mean a lot! also to all who celebrated, gong xi fa cai!

the interview with kim is up soon (sorry for the super delay! i'm currently working on the illustrations ;)) and my friend betz made a very beautiful entry regarding valentine's day titled you are loved. i'd like to share the joy and love with all of you, so check it out by clicking here. that's a very thoughtful, positive, and inspiring entry.

so, how was your weekend, everyone? i'd be more than glad to read all of your stories!

moonlit wilderness.

whatever to be chased in this silence, no man would concretely understand. they could describe, sure, but they wouldn't be able to recreate those moments yet again.





for another moment, i felt like i wanna run away, break myself free from fears, sorrow, and restlessness--i've been more than willing to put my sore eyes to rest ever since. if only there's an absolute formula to simplify thoughts, i'd gladly join the gracious cult.

what to be denied? in the end, we people would simply hope that we weren't actually one of those hard-thinkers. the line had turned way too damn thin for us to differ which issues are measurable, beyond measure, and desperately needs measuring.




small things could turn big-time troubles. a single spark of jealousy could evoke a bad detonation, yet creating another big black hole in ones' heart.







i paused to measure myself for a moment, thought about how desperate i've been these past last days. a man of wisdom once said;

"you're as young as your faith, as old as your doubt;
you're as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear;
you're as young as your hope, as old as your your despair."

talking about how old i actually am.

time could never be retrieved, destiny could not be chosen- it can be defined instead. whatever once lost would be returned one day in multiplied amounts; i now wish that the rule would also apply for broken-and-weary hearts of lonely souls out there.



until then, i'd sit and wait. i'd justify fate.

photography by devina
makeup by agnes subana
editing by me

16DS LDB/ mango knit vest/ thrifted scarf (approx. $2)/ DIY laddered tights/ rotelli boots/ accessories: mango rope necklace and necklaces/ next faux-pearl and chain necklace.


the story was written in-between breaks while i was reading a book titled "100 habits of successful graphic designers" (rockport, 2003) in my college's library last saturday. i'm now legally a fan of that book since it featured many useful suggestions from A-list graphic designers; the intriguing stefan sagmeister to name one.

for me, he's the clint eastwood of graphic design industry, having made many successful works and commercials, as well as some notable graphic campaigns for non-profit social organizations. he had also authored a book titled "things i have learned in my life so far". (abrams, 2008)

on footnotes, thank you to nina of ballerina'sclosetobssesion for the kreativ blogger award. i'm so honored to be nominated so!

oh and, interview with my friend kim of ice age heat wave had also finished. the interview will be posted next monday. she's a super-talented writer who writes inspiring stories. i bet you'd admire her as much i do! :)

update:
just read shocking news everywhere about the death of 40-year-old british designer alexander mcQueen. what a great loss to fashion industry. my biggest condolences for him. i really admire his works. his designs are always so daring. so unique. so fashionably over-the-edge. click here for the complete news. best one so far i've found around the net :)


happy early weekend, everyone. thank you for all of your supports!

balmain hommes SS2010.

(image courtesy of my friend strutt of foryoursatisFashion)

ok, we're currently in haute couture season, but still...
i definitely can't afford not reviewing this amazing collection for men by balmain.

i love balmain's designs. the design house always comes up with cool, influential things. take example last year; ever since they dressed their models in strong-shouldered minidresses, tough-chic boots, and MJ-esque military jackets for their fall 2009 collection, they had come as centers of influence since then. so strong that front-row stars like mischa barton and leigh lezark rock the balmain-inspired look. this issue of "front-row-sameness" had even brought as the subject of the complaint from teen vogue's fashion news director jane keltner in the december/january 2010 issue.

this 2010, the design house came up with another cool collection rich in of structured statement jackets for men, in a wide row of types ranging from tough leather jackets to safari vests in neutrals, not to mention über-cool blazers decorated with emblems and slouchy breezy tops (notice that worn-out tee in the far right?) that would make perfect outfits for everyday wear.

hope you enjoy this collection as much as i do. :)

shallow sleep.

in a shallow sleep i dreamt i was seeing you

just how i remembered, brimming with tenderness

and somewhere in the calm a feeling that nothing had ever changed

your presence close beside me 'till i wake.

i just saw you, a moment far too brief;

before the daylight came

but my heart was beating fast perhaps we'd meet again

>

your presence close beside me 'till i wake.

photography by devina

marks and spencer men's denim shirt/ vintage oversized fishnet hoodie sweater/ mango belt/ coach bag/ vintage lace-up boots

the lyrics written above were taken from hyde's song titled shallow sleep. that song had grown in me since the first time i listened to it. i really like the romantic atmosphere reflected in the lyrics, in fact, he had written a very nice one. my favorite is the piano version; you can view the video by clicking here.

by the way, how are you, friends? i'd really like to say thank you to all of you for the lovely supports in my MIA days (borrowed the term from nina- teehee).