2013-08-31

"MODE"























One day I was looking through a fashion snap website, FRONTSTYLE, and I noticed most of the models in mode outfits...
This made me wonder if the word "model" came from "mode"...  I looked up "mode" online and learned the word originally meant "fashion" or "trend" in French and people started to use "model" for calling models afterwards.  So there should be a connection between "mode fashion" and "model".  And that probably is the fashion taste of clothes that models wear... I think.  It seems that models wear high fashion clothes that might be seen in those brands' collections.

By the way, the snap website is well made.  Although it's all written in Japanese, you should be able to look at snaps without language problem.  Just click pics you want to take a look.


FRONTSTYLEという外国人のファッションスナップを載せている今風のサイトを最近見つけた。見ていると、ほとんどのモデルがモードファッションに身を包んでいることに気が付いた。「モード」と「モデル」の言葉に接点があるのか気になったためネットで調べてみたら、「モード」はフランス語でもともとは「ファッション」、「流行り」という意味だそう。後に「モード」という言葉から「モデル」が生まれたらしい。たしかに、スナップに写っているモデルの服は、ハイファッションブランドのコレクションで見られるモノの雰囲気と似ている。やっぱり仕事柄、モデル達はそうゆう系統を好んでしまうのかな。


2013-08-29

Japanese apparel brand "pattern torso"














Few days ago I found this Japanese apparel brand when I was looking for some new autumn clothes for my closet.  And this brand, "pattern torso," with those amazing clothes above took my heart away.  I fell in love with the color, texture, size, patterns, etc...  Also, they are mode and over-sized, which I love so badly! But it's not 100% mode because there are some designs that could be seen in Harajuku fashion.  I really want the whole world to know this kind of Japanese fashion.  Because the styles foreign people know as Japanese fashion such as Harajuku, GAL, Rolita, etc. are too crazy and just awesome in terms of entertainment.  And I always get disappointed and ashamed of my culture every time I google "Japanese fashion" and see only those crazy fashion.  They are too much... and not wearable.  Maybe I should say they're too artistic for me.  So I hope Japanese apparel brands like this influence foreign brands and to see foreigners wearing Japanese clothes someday... 

However, interestingly the designer of this brand is a Korean woman who studied apparel design in Seoul and Paris.  She's been going back and forth between Japan and Seoul.  It is so amazing that she captures Japanese fashion mind so well...

つい最近見つけてテンションがとても乱されたショップ「pattern torso」。軽め原宿系とモードがミックスされててすごくタイプ。日本=クレイジーな原宿ファッションって認識されがちだけど、pattern torsoの服のようなファッションもあるってことを世界中の人々に知ってもらいたいなぁ。
スタイルのいい外国人のモードファッションスナップは、正直もう飽きてきた・・・。平均的にスタイルが決していいとは言えない日本人が生み出したファッションだからこそ個性的でおもしろいし、もっと世界に注目されるべきだと思う。
でも、おもしろいことに、このブランドのデザイナーは韓国人女性。外国人の彼女が日本ファッションの心をうまく捕らえていることがワンダフル。



2013-08-26

Music...


It Will Rain by Bruno Mars


Autumn has been slowly pushing the hot summer heat away in Japan.
It's my favorite season of a year.  I love the smell of burned wheat, the chilly wind, the colors of trees...., and, of course, the fashion.
Today I was listening to this song called "It Will Rain" sung by Bruno Mars and all of the sudden the memories from San Francisco flashed back.  My heart still feels something very strong because SF is a special city to me and this song was heard everywhere at that time in SF/the U.S.  I still remember clearly that I was so sick of it everytime I heard just the beginning...  But now I miss it and it's my special song that reminds me of memories and feelings back then.  It even makes me feel a little empty... maybe because of the tone or the way he sings.... I don't know.  But it will probably be my next driving song for an another month.
Music is very mysterious...  It reminds us of what we were thinking and feeling of a past when we were listening to it.  I wish I could go back then again...

音楽は不思議・・・。
その当時のいろんな気持ちを思い出させてくれるから。
たとえその曲が辛かった思い出を蘇えらせても、
不思議と何度も聞いてしまう。

2013-08-24

"KBF"





















How much you think each of these dresses costs?
One only costs 7,245yen (about $70)!

The brand of the dresses is called "KBF" which targets women in their 20's and 30's and it's a Japanese brand.  The dresses can be worn either as a party dress or a daily outfit so it is quite useable I think...

If you are interested in Japanese fashion I recommend you to look through these websites below once.

KBF style book ... http://www.urban-research.jp/stylebook/kbf/130809/
KBF+ style book ... http://www.urban-research.jp/stylebook/kbfplus/130802/

Japanese fashion is not all about Harajuku fashion!

MK Looks!


MK look



MK style


2013-08-22

Japanese fashion magazines













I always think Japanese fashion magazines are great.
Because they shoot so many different looks for a magazine that is published every month.  There are various kinds of fashion magazines according to fashion genres in Japan... such as.... magazines for Harajuku, GAL, mode, conservative, celebrity and so many other genres.
I don't think I've ever seen so many fashion magazines in other countries.  And foreign fashion magazines include more texts than pics of outfits.  I personally prefer Japanese way of editing magazines... because magazines are like fashion scrapbooks to me.  I don't need words to understand fashion.  Maybe foreign magazines focus more on lifestyle???  And they think fashion is just a part of it.  Maybe.

The Japanese magazine above, called "CLASSY," is for women in their late 20's to mid 30's.  The clothes that those models wearing are not expensive.  But they somehow seem reachable or affordable... because those situations and outfits in the pics look familiar and wearable in daily life in the readers' eyes.

As you may noticed already, Japanese fashion magazines put many pics to show variety of styles.  They sometimes use certain clothes and take 30 pics using those clothes, but each style is different.  This is to show readers how to style what they have in their closet for a month.  I think this attracts readers because they don't have so many clothes in their closet like magazines do...  It's quite educational but enjoyable.

I think Japanese fashion magazine companies edit magazines to make readers want to wear the clothes in their everyday lives.  Making clothes look gorgeous is definitely one of the jobs of magazine companies, but I believe making them look casual is also important in order to grab readers heart.

By the way, my dream has always been to be an editor of a fashion magazine since I saw "The Devil Wears PRADA"! It will be an "online" magazine by the time I finally get the job...!





2013-08-16

Decision


An old friend from high school called me when I came home from school today.
She lives in Tokyo working for a web designing company and she came back to Fukui for the Bon holiday.  We talked at a cafe... and I asked her many questions about working in the web field in Tokyo.  Her answers motivated me a lot because I've decided to move to Tokyo quite recently... I had not known that there are so many chances waiting for people like me there. (I'd heard of that before, but it didn't sound real to me back then.)  My final goal is to live abroad and I'm dyeing for it, but I realize that I do need to get some work experience first.  I'm kind of a person that gets what she wants so it is a little hard for me to wait until I can finally begin to pursue my goal... but I'm quite excited for my future in Tokyo.
Life is not easy but fun!

高校時代、一緒にバカやった友人が東京から帰ってきたため、カフェで会った。
彼女は今春から東京のweb系の会社で働いている。
私も"Webクリエイタ―養成科"という地元の職業訓練に通っているため、
東京のweb業界について聞きたかったことをたくさん質問した。
というのも、最近になって、”海外で働く”という夢のために訓練終了後は、
先ず、東京で経験を積むべきだと考え始めるようになったからだ。
偏見の多い私は、今まで東京に住むことに決してポジティブではなかった。
東京は家賃は高く、人が多い・・・夢への資金稼ぎの妨げになると思っていた。
しかし、彼女は東京ライフがいかに楽しいかを語った。
おまけに、「東京を知ったらどこにも行けない!」とまで言っていた。
たしかに、東京にはweb会社はたくさんあり、海外転勤のチャンスもあるかもしれない。
そして、都会の魅力・・・人生に影響を及ぼすような人々との出会いやチャンスがたくさんある。

「今しか自分にお金貢げないんだよ♥」

彼女は私の東京ライフへのモチベーションを5割上げたのだった。




NYC 2012



2013-08-09

Designing



This is one of my works I've been working on.
I created a DM design for an imaginary cafe, called "New York Cafe" with Illustrator and Photoshop.  I've just begun to use those software less than a month ago, so it was pretty difficult to clip the green couch from a pic, edit it, choose the right font..., and so on.

But I totally forget the passing of time and keep focusing on the work for hours and hours!
Being creative and thinking of designs are that fun to me.  I must get better on my editing skills and be able to do many kinds of things to create good designs.

This DM is finished but I might add some changes later... 
Never stop editing for a better design...

2013-08-08

Japanese fashion










These are the late summer looks taken by shop staffs of Japanese apparel brands.
Mode fashion has been spread among casual brands...






Girly Mannish Classy


Girly Mannish Classy

Just created this new look.  

The oversized jacket, classy accessories, jeans.... 
Inspired by Olsen twins.

I should get the strappy top from ZARA.
It's so pretty!]

There's something about Olsen...

Ashley Olsen











Mary Kate Olsen






I used to think being fashionable means wearing various types of clothes.
I have a narrow fondness of what I wear... and I used to feel ashamed of that.

My mom and sister always tell me that I wear boring colored clothes.  And I sometimes feel that I dress a little too much for places I go.  Japanese culture doesn't dress formal often but I like classy, formal, and sometimes a little too much style.  

So I try to think about these points when I go shopping, but I end up buying the similar clothes I already have and I sometimes regret that I bought too much-clothes that would be never worn...
I just cannot help falling in love with them.

But, the today's fashion icons, Olsen twins, keep my fashion mind positive.
They dress too formal and too much sometimes, but seems like they enjoy their fashion to the fullest.  I think that's the most important thing.

So I look at pics of Ashley and MK dressed fur and oversized dresses... as if they are talking to me "Be yourself."

2013-08-07

New Chapter!










It's been 4 months since I graduated from college.  Time flies...
My life went a little crazy during this period and I've gone through that.

And I passed an exam that would allow me to take a three-month web creator course!!!
I was relieved from a lot of stress when I got the result.

At school, I've been learning about web design and DTP design using Adobe software.
To be honest, I've never focused on studying like now in my life and the school is pretty fun everyday!

I am such a lucky girl to be given such a nice opportunity.
Must make the most of this!

I've created new looks on Polyvore and been working on my new fashion web page with the new skills I've learned from the class.
Probably it will be about Japanese fashion and a little bit about myself...  

A new chapter has just started!