Academy of Art 2013 Graduation Fashion Show Review

Posted on May 15, 2013 in Academy of Art University, Fashion Reviews, Featured | 0 comments

Once again, Academy of Art 2013 Graduation Fashion Show packed serious heat of emerging talents last Thursday, May 9 at The Palace of Fine Arts Theater. When I first found out about the venue, I was half-hoping the runway would be outdoor. Wouldn’t that be gorgeous? But then I returned from my fantasy thinking when I realized just how complicated it would be to set up an outdoor show :) That being said, this year’s production is the largest the university has ever made. Still clutching to its grip as the “ground zero” of SF Bay Area fashion talent generator, Academy of Art’s newest graduates showed their teeth in diverse range of fabrics and outfits. Compared to last year’s, I saw more varieties (more menswear!) and personal favorites overall.

This year, the Academy of Art University Honorary Doctorates title are awarded to Maz Azria and Lubov Azria from BCBG Max Azria Group (pictured right). H.R.H. Pricess Reema Bandar Al-Saud’s Saudi Project also returned this year; the stunning results were featured as the show opener.

Thank you my husband Chris for all the wonderful pictures. Perhaps it’s worth almost being kicked off by the burly security people. Please click on the picture once and wait a moment in order to bring up the selected designer’s complete looks presented during the Academy of Art 2013 Graduation Fashion Show. Without further ado, these are the collections presented on Academy of Art 2013 Graduation Fashion Show.

March 2013 Japan Trip Teaser: A (Long) Summary

Posted on May 10, 2013 in Featured, Japan Fashion, Muses, Thoughts, Travel Adventures | 1 comment

I love traveling even though I don’t get to do it often, especially going overseas to other countries. When you travel less with a mindset of a tourist and more with a mindset of an explorer, the experience simply opens you. It makes you invigorated and inspired, ready to see things both expected and surprising. Before March, 4 years has passed since my last overseas trip. After my March 2013 Japan trip, I pray that I will get to travel more often. You really miss out a great deal when you don’t travel and experience things. Trust me.

Amongst all countries in the world, I love Japan. Perhaps not as a country I choose to live in, but a country whose way of life, culture, and technology I admire so much. Before our March 2013 Japan trip, it had been 7 years since I first visited Japan. It was only 5 days, but since then I was patiently waiting for a chance to visit that amazing country, this time with the love of my life (you know who). As always, but maybe more so this time, he took gorgeous pictures that I am very excited to share with you.

UC Davis Threads in Motion Review

Posted on May 3, 2013 in Fashion Reviews, Featured | 1 comment

UC Davis Fashion and Design Society (FADS) held “Threads in Motion” spring fashion show at SOMArts Cultural Center on April 28, 2013. 15 mini-collections from student designers, consisting of 4-6 looks each were presented on the runway. While I’m happy that the student-run FADS provides the medium and means for these students to take 10 weeks to create their Signature Fashion Collection at UC Davis Threads in Motion fashion show that expresses their own design aesthetics, I was underwhelmed with the overall results.

There are three mini-collections that I love, but I believe UC-Davis students have their work cut out for them if they’d like to be on similar level as AIC-San Francisco, California College of the Arts, or Academy of Arts students. The concepts and story behind their collections are beautiful, however the execution level leaves a lot to be desired.

Silvia Arguello on NBC’s Fashion Star and Her Upcoming Rosa Clandestino Online Shop

Posted on Apr 26, 2013 in Fashion Reviews, Featured, Muses | 0 comments

I have been a fan of NBC’s Fashion Star. I think the premise is brilliant and progressive; not only it gives the featured designers a great dose of exposure, it also builds immediate shopping impulse for the featured retailers.

Tonight on NBC’s Fashion Star (Season 2, Episode 8), my favorite Silvia Arguello was shockingly eliminated*. A Milanese fashion designer and Vogue Italia favorite, Silvia has made her mark on this season as the highest seller on the show ($905K record sales for NBC’s Fashion Star Season 1 and 2, successfully selling to all three retailers: Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Express). Here, she discusses her shocking elimination, experience thus far, and positive outlook to launch her prestigious Paris-based clothing line Rosa Clandestino in the US market through the upcoming launch of her global e-commerce store.

My April (2013 Version)

Posted on Apr 25, 2013 in Thoughts | 2 comments

My April this year has been really tough on me. Just as soon as we finished immersing in our dream paradise of Japan (those travel posts are coming, I promise), Chris and I had been cumulatively drowning in illness, foot injury, apartment woes, and iMac hard drive issues. The last one hurt a great deal because without our iMac, we could not process our pictures.

And there’s also a future personal matter (I’d like to keep it abstract, it’s very personal for me) that perched its giant black wings onto my shoulders. I willingly entered a situation out of sense of duty, however the true burden of my decision slapped me hard in the face with fury and frustration. For about two weeks, I was agitated, inwardly angry, felt I have no control, and worst of all, I felt trapped.

Curtsy for Cheay Rochelle’s Fall/Winter 2013 Collection

Posted on Apr 24, 2013 in Fashion Reviews, New York fashion | 0 comments

First of all, let me apologize for nearly two months of no blog updates. I will explain that on the next blog post. For now, I want to express my admiration to Cheay Rochelle’s Fall/Winter 2013 Collection, aptly titled Victorian Nobility. The clean lines and tapestry print cleanly brings out the vintage romance feel in the garments’ modern structures.

With Victorian Nobility, Ms. Rochelle wants to take us on a journey along the modern Victorian road, where New York meets Britain. The outfits are feminine and romantic, but not overly girly. Instead, they are sharp and possess the right amount of edginess inside the romantic realm. I am thoroughly impressed. Even though I heard about this collection from Divine Influence PR early this month, I just had to feature this collection on my blog. I don’t care if it’s late. If you haven’t known about this collection, I hope you love them like I do.

The Future is Fashion Forward

Posted on Mar 8, 2013 in Muses, Thoughts | 0 comments

In just a few more hours, I’m going to leave the United States for three weeks. It has been 4 years since I left the United States, and I am anticipating some kind of a cultural or loss-of-familiarity shock when I go to Indonesia and Japan. I also know that it will all become a blur and three weeks will pass so fast and before I can process it all, I will be back here typing again on my laptop.

However, I will certainly do my best to enjoy my vacation.

Before that, I want to do a quick post of what I think is a very encouraging sign of the fashion world, and therefore I titled my post The Future is Fashion Forward. Fashion industry is known to be very tough, ambitious, but also at times close-minded and even cynical that it has trouble adjusting to progress (but then again, aren’t we all). Season after season, there is always a published opinion lamenting the…weaknesses, be it the unattainable standards of thinner-than-thin models, the crazy schedules of fashion weeks, what’s-behind-the-business matters, and so on.