Today's Hipster: July 2010

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Harajuku Fashion

I'm sure a lot of you know about Harajuku. This has been talked about and emphasized by Gwen Stefani and Nicki Minaj. Marc Jacobs has gotten quite a bit of influence from the Harajuku culture and Gaga absolutely luvs it 2. To kind of sum it up. Towards the end of World War 2, U.S soldiers and their families occupied the area known as Harajuku. The natives of the area became influenced by the Americans different sense of style. The major start of distinct fashions began in the late 70s and early 80s. A brand called Milk was established during this time and they specialized in the lolita style. Lolita style is basically very Victorian baby doll influenced. Teens picked up on this style, the popular 80s US style, punk fashion, and made the traditional kimono more edgy. The area became more and more famous and is now a super crowded and super popular area that is the hub of the super trendy and the kids that inspire some of the top designers. Back to the history. Japanese kids have classes, Monday - Saturday and have Sunday off.. The teens use this free day to dress up in super eccentric and bold fashions, consisting of second-hand, brand new, and hand made pieces. The main styles done ranges from gothic lolita ( gothic baby doll, all black), sweet lolita (white and pastelles baby doll), punk, cosplay(anime character), and visual kei(super rocker, style used by most if not all Japanese rock bands and singers). The teens hang out by the bridge and mingle. Tourists flock the area and take pics and the teens just smile and pose. Although the teens dress in super outrageous fashions, it is quite normal and a tradition, and everyone in Tokyo is used to it, however, if they or you dress in these fashions completely on any other day you will get awkward stares nd chuckles, believe me. You can use these styles nd the other that is popular with Harajuku as a template to influence your personal style and water it down for everyday wear. The teens in this area are on point and on top of fasion and set a lot of trends. A theory is that most trends recently have started in Tokyo. I can't really disagree with this. If you check out Japanese street fashion sites, they wear whatever they want not realizing that it is in style or will be in style. There are other areas in Tokyo where the teens and young people have very unique styles. Tokyo is definitely the center of what will be in trend and when it comes to fashion week, Tokyo is the master of avant garde ready to wear.

Style Rookie

Tavi Gevinson is like the best blogger ever. She blogs about trends, fashion, and basically what she loves. She has a very distinct and unique style. Check her out and also buy her awesum t shirts.

Stevie Boi shades and accessories

This has got 2 b the most awesum glasses designer of our time. His glasses has been worn by Gaga, Rihanna, Beyone, and tons of other celebs. He has been featured in Harper's Bazaar and his shades has also been featured in Jersey Shore. I absolutely luv his glasses and all of you fellow fashionistas need to get a pair of his shades. He will def be super famous. Spread his name. and check out his site http://www.stevieboi.com/ .

Fall 2010 trend mens and women

Women

50s - the 50s have inspired some designers in a major way and gorgeous 50s inspired frocks have been spotted on the runway for fall. You can get a pricier one or get a cheaper one online somewhere like modcloth or urbanoutfitters.

fur - there has been lots of fur peices, real and fake. Super Diva and Super fierce.

color - head to toe color is strange for fall but look really cute and is something differnt to the usual dark shades and colors. To master this trend you can go for bright colors but pair with a neutral colored jacket and or shoes and accessories.

feminine take on male classics - panted suits, chunky fits, and oversized jackets have been done a lot for fall. I personally luv a little androgyny.

gold - gold has replaced brown and beige for fall. I think it gives a really rich look, no?

floor length skirts - thne latest trends for skirts go from above the kne to bellow the ankle. Marc jacobs has done this for his collection and for Louis Vuitton. Michael Kors and Raulph Lauren has done this look also. Very granny chic.

70s power dressing - 70s inspiration, nudes, and light suiting. This trend is super chic and stylish.

Men

tweed topcoat - very classic and chic. Luvin these coats, ima get me 1 in black. This coat can easily be dressed up with a pair of dress pants, shirt, tie, and scarf or dressed down with a pair of jeans, casual shoes or boots, a tshirt or sweater and a scarf.

bright sweater - this is 1 of my fave trends. I have a out there style and so i pick up the crazier of trends and i absolutely luv the idea of a bright color sweater on a dark and gloomy day. I'm weird like that lol.

alpine hiker boots - if worn the wrong way can look like you've gone camping but if u pair with a pair of skinny jeans a t and a military jacket u get a much cooler, less cleshay look.

shadow plaid suit - very chic and stylish. This is a great alternative to the normal paid suit and what I do is pair the blazer with a graphic t and a pair of skinny jeans for school.

duffel coat - I've mentioned this coat in my back to school post. This coat is super in right now and can be cheap, i see it everywhere that sell coats. pick one up, it's a good investment and a def closet staple.

chunky knit scarf - fantastic for those brisk winter days.

small brimmed fedora - luv this, I've been rockin these hats for years

versatile turtleneck - perfect for dressing up or down, wear under a suit or with a jacket and jeans

flight jackets - these jackets are just suer cool enough said.

Quick Look

Donna Karan resort 2011

For this collection, Donna channeled easy and loose. This line was very sophisticated and had a use of minimalist tones, such as black, white, and grey. The clothes were cut precisely but were given an easy look and on the runway made it look easy and not complicated.

runway vid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6rQcefTLOY&playnext=1&videos=yXGnwBvzN2I

Givenchy Fall 2010 haute couture

This collection was inspired by Frida Kahlo and her obsessions. The craftsmanship on these garments is stunning and perfection. They are constructed perfectly and look amazing.

making of
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XukvErF5tg4&playnext=1&videos=utO6LVVqFqE&feature=sub

Gaga on the cover of Vanity Fair!!!

This is for the Vanity Fair September issue

Resident Evil Afterlife

As you all know, Resident Evil Afterlife is coming out Friday, September 10, 2010. I'm a huge fan of RE so i'm super excited. Just some news and spoilers for those of you who luv RE 2. Jill will be in those movie. Along with Jill, wewill see Wesker, Chris Redfield, Claire Redfield, Alice, and K-Mart. There Will be scenes in Tokyo too. We will also see the mind control chest harness from the RE 5 game. All of this and a lot more are in store for the next instllment of the RE movie franchise. Can't wait. =D

Vampire Diaries Season 2!!!

Vampire Diaries Season 2 will premiere on Thursday September 9 at 8pm. I'm so excited. I got the dig on a little of what's gonna happen. Jeremy is alive, whether or not he's a vampire has not been told but im gonna say he is it's common sense. A character thought to be dead will return(most likely Ana). There will be a love "square" between Stephen, Damon, Katheryn, and Elena. Tyler is a wolf and he will fall in love with either Bonnie or Caroline(I believe Bonnie). There will be flashbacks from other time periods including the 80s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmzyJz1kTeg

im so excited =D

My latest Photo

compliments of taaz, lunapic, and fotoflexer

Hello Kitty Doc Martens

The new creation by Doc Martens and Sanrio. SUPER KAWAII!!!! It's Hello Kitty Doc Martens. These are super cute and adorable and a whole new take on the punky and hard classic footwear. These are limited edition and the value will definitely go up. These were created for Sanrio's 50th anniversary.

buy em here

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3101603?cm_cat=datafeed&cm_pla=shoes:women:boots&cm_ite=dr._martens_hello_kitty(r)_boot:303395&cm_ven=Froogle&GANTrackingID=nord_292070800

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3101604?refsid=303395&refcat=0~2376778~2372808~2377035~2379515&SourceID=&SlotID=1&origin=related&cm_Sp=Related-Items-_-Product-_-Auto

blue waves

This is geared toward those with a dark Cesar or fade.
All ya need is hair bleach, blue hair dye, wave cream, and a brush

brush and comb hair up completely. Next bleach the top but make sure its only slightly touches the top and the middle or roots of the hair. wait until u achieve brown to blonde color on the top and wash. Apply dye to the top using the same method as the bleach method. Wash and dry. apply wave cream and brush for a while to achieve blue waves. You should still have black hair with the waves showing up blue.

Back to School Fashion

I know it's a little early but I'm sure most of you are thinkin bout what to wear when you go back. Here are the things that are trendy, stylish, and cute but not to over the top. I will also refer some online shops and NY shops for all of you new yorkers.
Investments

Doc Martens - these boots can be worn all throughout the year and are especially great in the winter. Their also super popular right now and super cute. You can get a pair in low top, mid top, high top, and to the knees. These boots come in leather and patent leather and come in tons of colors. They look best worn and beat up and can even be purchased this way. These boots are dudes and dudette appropriate.

Harajuku Lovers Backpacks - these backpacks are super kawaii!!!! They come in tons of different prints and their are just too cute. These bags are mostly a for girls but there are a few that are boy appropriate.

Levis skinny jeans - these jeans for girls and guys come in tons of colors and their super cool. I have em in 5 colors.

Readers - These glasses are totally hipster. They are a bit daring but they are cool and looks really retro. You can a cheap but cool pair for $10 or spend the extra buck and get a pair of Ray Ban readers for $100.

Duffel Jacket - this is mostly for guys. This is definitely something different to the usual pea coat or north face. This is a very classic and stylish coat and I prefer it in camel.

Paul Frank watches - these watches come in cool designs. Their so cute and their currently my fave watch. Their for guys nd girls nd I prefer them to G-shocks any day.

Tokidoki t shirts - Super cute and super unique. These ts have cute characters on them and the brand is inspired by Japanese street fashion(i'll talk bout that in another blog). These ts are a bit more pricey than normal ts though but they are worth it.

Online Shops

NY shops

TopShop
TopMan
Uniqlo
Urban Outfitters
Trash and Vaudeville
Buffalo Exchange
Tokio7
H&M
What Goes Around Comes Around
Anna Sui

Do Designers influence Street Style or does street style influence Designers

I have a theory about fashion. Some believe that designers are influenced by what is seen on the street and others believe that normal fashionistas are influenced by designers. Complicated, right? Well I believe both. In the end, trends have been started and created mostly be people who did not mean to be stylish, Most things done in fashion today or that will be done in the future has already been done before and designers are updating the trend for a more modern take on the trend. In my opinion anything new in terms of fashion started the day of our existence and ended in 2000. We have gone through tons of styles. You can pick up something from a vintage thrift store and look like you are on trend at the moment. So why do people pay such a pretty penny on high end designers? It's because of media, vanity, and a bit of insecurity. We pay so much on a lovely Louis Vuitton bag to prove the amount of money in the bank more than actually liking the bag. Anyways that's another topic lol. So anyways, all the roots of fashion have been established, the fashionistas, celebs, and hipsters wear these trends old or new in their own way and a collection is designed around this person's style. This collection becomes popular and is similar to what is going on with other collections and the main styles of these collection become the trend of the season and this influences those who started the trend to begin with, the fashionistas, the celebs, and the hipsters. An example of this can be seen with fall 2009. Marc Jacobs and many other designers were influenced by 80s fashioned and designed their collection built upon this era. Madonna was a main fashion icon of this era and she was in mind for designing these collections along with other singers, movies, trends, etc. The collections are released and 80s becomes the in trend thing. Madonna wears from these collections realizing or not realizing that she is wearing fashion inspired but what she and friends and celebs of her time have already done and in fact a similar dress or accessory could be in her closet from her like a virgin days. This is what is happening a lot and what will continue to happen. So what do we do realizing such a thing? We shop. We still buy the beautiful but overpriced designer brands. We don't mind some cheaper vintage peices though. We mix and match the old with the new and we become the inspiration. We then buy from the new collection inspired by us and the cycle goes on and on. Of course there are some new ideas and and totally new creations and we will buy them and wear them differently and that totally unique and avant garde piece worn differently will be remade with a different aesthetic in the future.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Blood Is the New Black

There has been a rise in the vamp popularity. Let's face it girls nowadays would rather be bitten than kissed and prefer super pale than tan. This rise in the vampire trend is partially a result from twilight, True Blood, and The Vampire Diaries. Teen's have grown to love these shows and movies because the vampire is portrayed as sensitive and nice. On top of that their always hot. I'm going to list the top 5 trending vamp trends and a tutorial to achieve the vamp look.
1. Vampire in the media

Ranging from Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, or True Blood. Vampires are no longer scary and instead are misunderstood and longing for love.

2. Bloody Photography
there has been lots of photo shoots lately with more of a morbid look. I've been seen lots of murder, black and red, blood, and a whole lot of red that I just wanna sink my teeth into. Even Gaga has rocked a photo shoot with the morbid vampy aesthetic.

3. Vamp Fashion
Designers have been influenced by the vamp trend. A god example of this can be seen in Dsquared2's fall 2010 collection.

Dsquared2 fall 2010

Bottega Veneta fall 2010

4. Vamp makeup
after doing some research and an overall poll combined with the recent makeup tutorials on youtube, the sale in paler foundation have gone up. There is also an increase in sales of black eyeliner, blood red lipstick and even black lipstick.
5. fangs
A lot more people, especially teens have recently been investing in a pair of quality fangs. A great fangs dealer would be Scarecrow, who enables their customers to fit their fangs specifically for their tooth and be able to wear them all the time. People have also been getting their canines filed for a more realistic look. This of course is a bit more drastic, permanent, and more pricey.

Achieve the look
- vampires 9 out of 10 times have very pale skin, to achieve this look go for a foundation 2 to 3 shades lighter than your actual skin color. There is also a little secret that I've found to achieving paler skin without makeup, that a guy vamp can follow, and that will even lighten dark skin. This secret is cetaphil SPF 50 facial moisturizer. This moisturizer is great for the skin, lasts most of the day, lightens the skin and gives a very pale complexion, and is great for preventing UV rays. You can also use powder with the cetaphil to lock in the moisturizer more and to give an even more pale look.I am black with a normal shade of brown skin and this moisturizer gives me a lighter, dewy complexion. Warning, the change in color can be dramatic. Another secret is BB cream. BB cream works towards improving the skin, is a great replacement to foundation, and gives a pale and dewy look. This cream is super popular in Japan and in Korea.
- dark smoky eyes. This is a look mastered by Tyra, but can be done and look good on most if not all. For the day time just do a black eyeliner with a slight wing and mascara. For nighttime do the same and add some purple, grey and black eyeshadow.
- You cant be a hot vamp without those blood red lips. Gwen Stefani mastered this lipstick look. To achieve this apply a good bold red lip stick, red lip gloss and line the lips with a red liner. Another good vampy lip look is the black lips. This is more dramatic and more of a nighttime look. Also, for the bold red lips you can line them with black liner at night for a more edgy look.
- long flowy hair is stunning for this look. Short punky styles are super cleshay, the more updated vamp sports long flowy and wavy hair. The color does not matter just not a loud color, go for shades of brown, black, shades of long, and subtle not loud shades of red.
- vampires usually have distinct feature, therefore make sure to contour dramatic cheekbones, think 80s for this part
-in terms of wardrobe, lots and lots of black, black leather, bold red, Gothic and old fashioned jewelry, over the top rings, and dark and edgy accessories.