New Purpose, New... Direction

Totally stolen from Glee with that title, but in today's world, everything's both cliche and original anyway; the title's purpose is to serve as an indicator of once again, the revamping of this blog and my irrationally renewed hope for a sustainable, cyber-based log of my interests and thoughts.

Maybe because I'm now 19 and legal to drink in Canada, some miraculous change will overcome me as I go to bed tonight and I'll know how to be persistent when I wake up, or maybe wake up a la Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30 and be blessed with a cushy job, a sweet wardrobe and fabulous hair.

Image via http://adwor.blogdrive.com/

(I haven't actually seen that movie, but based on my sister's (and mother's) ravings, what little I know about Jennifer Garner, and the movie screenshot pasted in above, I think it's reasonable to say my predictions of a ridiculous vision are accurate).

This last year, in short, has been... enlightening.  The knowledge that I have no study skills has been repeatedly reinforced, that I'm a passive eater has been heavily emphasized, and my predilections towards staring at shiny entrancing objects when I should be reading or doing homework or sleeping have carried me to where I am now--narcoleptic, caffeine-driven, sporadically-eating, TV-obsessed, news-oriented and a shoe-whore clothes horse online-shopping lurker.

My goal for the next year, then? To accomplish... let's say, three things a day, accomplish encompassing some basic obligations, such as:

• Not skipping eating when I'd rather stay curled up in bed, or...
• Doing all my reading and homework for the next day
• Doing some significant research for my internship
• Not sleeping paying attention in class
• Writing a blog post (3+/week is the class minimum)
• Sending out e-mails when I'm supposed to (a biggie)

My parents would probably like to add 'calling them everyday' to the list of things I should do everyday, although it's always... well, been a pain to talk to them on the phone. It seems to run in the family (skipping over me, of course) that my mother, my father, my sister and grandparents and aunties and uncles and cousins MUST shout into the phone, because the person on the other end (me, of course) has hearing problems.

Or, if you're like my dad... well, the typical phone conversation goes like this:

爸爸：哦，你为什么没给我打电话？ 我就是想跟你说话,听你的声音! ='(
Me: I called three hours ago and you said that you were driving and couldn't talk.
爸爸：那时儿我在忙!
妈妈：(对爸爸) 今天是她的生日!
爸爸: 哦?! O___O

Give this guy a yellow cast and a little paunchier around the middle and you have my dad. Image via Getty Images

Loosely Directly translated, here's what happened; for greatest comedic effect (and most accurate representation), have a small child play the father role:

Father: (petulantly) Hey, why haven't you caaaaalllled me? I just wanna taaaalk to yoou, hear the sound of your voice...!! ='(
Me: I called three hours ago & you said that you were driving & couldn't talk.
Father: (protestingly) But that's because I was busy!!
Mother: (in the background, to my father) Dude, it's her birthday today. Get off the phone; give it baaack to me.
Father: Wait... what?! Seriously? O_____O

So, Dad, thanks for the birthday wishes and for your genes; whatever I forget in the future, I'll always have hereditary amnesia.

Daily Reads

The accumulated articles compiled by my Google Reader in the last 24 hours... yes, 1000+.

Reworked

Spring semester at the University of Michigan has started... and that means instead of frolicking in the sunshine with nothing to do, I'll be cooped up and studying in Ann Arbor for the next seven weeks. However....

My three classes I'm taking this semester have, in my opinion, really taken off. Psych111 (Intro to Psych) is one of those basic classes that... yeah. Basic. Bleh. But ok.

Comm101 (Media & Culture) is my most exciting class, because it's about the two things (besides books, ice cream and shoes) that I like most: media and culture. Which means we're told constantly to watch more TV (like 20 hours/week isn't enough for me...) and to analyze how different media impact viewers and vice versa. Like I said on Twitter, I spent 10 minutes arguing the presence of phallic symbols in a DKNY mens ad. And the professor said I was right.

SWC200 is a 'New Media Course,' and the 'new medium' we're exploring for this class is blogging, so you will, for the sake of my grade point, be getting more updates on this blog. As in at least three posts a week. I hope you'll like them. =)

Sue Sylvester, Dance on Air

My apologies for the lack of updates; school is revving up to the final stages, and I am writing currently to avoid studying. Today's focus:

You betcha. This lady is indubitably one of the driving forces behind Glee, the hit musical-comedy television show on Fox that if you don't know about, you're clearly very, very behind on what's current in pop culture; played by Jane Lynch, Sue Sylvester, cheerleading coach extraordinaire, leading citizen, Madonna fan and blackmail expert is the driving force behind many of the evils that befall the students of an Ohio high school glee club as part of her mission to stay top dog. She is unabashedly rude, racist, elicit, terrifying, egotistical... you get the point. She's ballsy, she's out there, she's the biggest, baddest, best bitch of them all--and still very much three-dimensional. Even in the most seemingly-insensitive of speeches, there's a wit that makes you laugh and adore her:

Sue Sylvester is an extremely endearing character, however, whenever she's around her Down-syndrome-affected younger sister, and in this last week's revealing 'The Power of Madonna' episode, you learn why she always rags on Will Schuester for "[having] enough product in your hair to season a wok." Earlier in the season, her brief crush on a local newscaster also brought forth a softer side that hopefully, we'll see again in the future. Jane Lynch really pulls forth the perfect combination of outrageousness and believability in crafting her character, which is why Sue Sylvester has so quickly become a pop culture staple.

Sue claims to be... 29, but whatever her age, she can really pull off a tracksuit--she knows that any kind of full-length sportswear in velour is just fugly, and you can check out a gallery of best outfits @EW. Or read some of my favorite lines:

• If I have a pregnant girl doing a handspring into a double layout, the judges aren't going to be admiring her impeccable form, they're going to be wondering if the centrifugal force is going to make the baby's head start crowning.
• I, for one, think intimacy has no place in a marriage. Walked in on my parents once and it was like seeing two walruses wrestling.
• I empower my Cheerios to live in fear by creating an environment of irrational, random terror.
• I like minorities so much, I'm thinking of moving to California to become one.
• I don't trust a man with curly hair I can't help but picture little birds laying sulfurous eggs in there, and it disgusts me.
• GLEE CLUB! Every time I try to destroy that clutch of scab eating mouth-breathers it only comes back stronger like some sexually ambiguous horror movie villain. Here I am, about to turn 30, and I’ve sacrificed everything only to be shanghaied by the bi-curious machinations of a cabal of doughy, misshapen teens!

• I’ve always thought the desire to procreate showed deep personal weakness. Me, never wanted kids. Don’t have the time, don’t have the uterus.
• When you hear your name called, cross over to my side of this black shiny thing. Santana, Wheels, Gay Kid. C’mon, move it! Asian, Other Asian, Aretha, andShaft. See, Will, I don’t want to participate in a group that ignores the needs of minority students.

My personal favorite line from 'Glee'? Brittany's, "Did you know that dolphins are really just gay sharks?" Your favorite lines? Why you love Sue?

Wired May 2010

It's not a fashion cover, but Wired's May cover is ballsy in a somewhat similar way to those provocative haute couture ads you see stuck in the pages of Vogue & Elle. What's intriguing is the blatant use of 'geek,' not only embracing the stereotypical idea of the smart four-eyes at school with a sweater slopped over a collared shirt, a pocket protector & always a calculator... in his head, but connecting it with the word 'power,' implying... well, power, which, admittedly, in our world, generally brings up an image of a testosterone-driven buff guy.

Of course, another reason why this works so well is that Wired knows full well who their customer base is--the younger, savvier crowd of the 'Me Generation' that, like the title, fully embraces their geekery, and really, revels in it.

If you, ironically, can't read, that's Bill Gates & Mark Zuckerberg, the former an awesome brainchild, founder of Microsoft and the world's most epic billionaire philanthropist, the latter responsible for why you're addicted to the Internet, as he created/runs Facebook.

Here's the full cover:

Liu Wen for Estee Lauder

Estée Lauder just signed models Liu Wen (left... duh) & Constance Jablonski (right); congrats to both, as they're the first from either country to be signed to the cosmetic giant.

The signing of Wen is what really makes this a great move--beauty ideals are really taken seriously, almost to an extreme, on the 'Eastern' side of the world; whereas in Western countries there are pages devoted to facial regimens and skin care, in countries like China, Japan, and Korea, you have entire magazines devoted to a single aspect, such as nail art, painting the perfect pout, and especially whitening the skin.

Wen's success as a model on the international front--the first Asian to walk for Victoria's Secret, the first Asian face for EL & 49 shows this last season!--has definitely resulted in major props & pride on the home front in China; for Estée Lauder to sign an Asian face for representation is a definite sign of the globalization of 'beauty' and a sort-of affirmation of the beauty of Asians, which will undoubtedly up their cache in Eastern countries against brands that have not 'held out,' so-to-speak, in not featuring Asian models, such as Shiseido or SK-II (which are also based in Japan).

Essentially, a European company embracing a Chinese gal = happy Chinese people & even more Chinese girls aspiring to be like Liu Wen = saaaaaaaales & $$$$$$.

Via StyleList.

Louis Vuitton & the Cosmic Blossom

Louis Vuitton has most certainly tapped into the eerie obsessiveness with cuteness that is undeniably Japanese, and the new prints and collection from their collaboration with Takashi Murakami screams 'kawaii (kah-wah-ee).' The cuteness definitely aims towards the younger demographic, especially with the eye-popping colors & sweeping, sports logo that the 'Louis Vuitton' imprinted on the bags has been reinterpreted in, and seeing Daisy Lowe prance about surrounded by beaming, adorable... daisies is an extreme fashion fairy tale for any girl/feminine boy under eight. The bright monochrome wash of much of the collection brings more elegance to the table, though, allowing it to still appeal to the older crowd (as well as the older crowd that pretends to be younger than it is).

FORM//Via Cadmus.

Good God. That Hair.

Spoken by one of the people I know who couldn't care less about fashion, which really goes to show how awesomely hilarious the hair on this model from the 3.1 Philip Lim 2010 S/S Mens really is:

OMG--It's Timmy G!

I was woken up at an ungodly hour this morning, by Sonal asking me for help.

Ugggh. :P hahaha The following are the images that I wake up to every morning I’m home from Ann Arbor; my sister’s Beatles wall. So many bowl haircuts, so early in the day… it’s absolutely terrifying.
Then I had homework to do. :P And other reading, as you can see below. Medea and The Bacchae, for Classic Civilization: An Introduction to Ancient Greece, involved writing a small paper and turning it in. Surprisingly, I did it before it was due (a first, really). Read Tim Gunn’s A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style to prep for the meet&greet, and Calvin & Hobbes because they’re Calvin and Hobbes.
Anyway, left at 12.40 for the fashion show, got to Somerset at 12.50—the road was rife with asshole drives today—and disappointingly, no gift bags. :( If they had the gift bags, though, it would understandably defeat the purpose of this fashion show (to get us to buy stuff), and so instead, they had a look-list and a where-to-buy map set at each seat. Moleskine notebook in corner for my notes!

Hosting the Somerset Collection’s Fall Fashion Event were Leah Salak (Director of Marketing & Special Events at Liz Claiborne Inc.) and Tim Gunn (Creative Director of Liz Claiborne Inc. and Project Runway fame). The fashion show itself featured clothes from and was sponsored by Lucky Brand Jeans, Juicy Couture, kate spade new york, Mac & Jac, Kensie, Kensie Girl, DKNY Jeans, and Monet, all brands under Liz Claiborne Inc.

...you can see why they came then. Hahah =P

The runway show was nontraditional, in looking at how typical shows are, but since this was definitely more of a marketing ploy than an actual display of the coming season’s wares, the format was understandable. The two hosts sat adjacent to the runway, and provided a running commentary on the outfits and the brands from which the clothes were pulled from. They’ve definitely done this before—in this first outfit above, by kate spade, Tim Gunn calls her “the Elsa Schiaparelli of the 21^st century,” the exact same statement he made… about two weeks ago in San Francisco at a similar showcase event.

That’s okay though. Recycling’s good. :) Here are some more shots; sorry for the heads in the photos. :P It was hard trying to balance note-taking and photographing; SHEI didn’t send me a photo person to accompany me, nor did Somerset ever get back about a press pass. :(

In one of the first looks, Salak decided to pull a girl from the audience and demonstrate how the addition of accessories can easily transform a look, pulling the cardigan, scarf and handbag from the professional model and draping them over the impromptu-demonstrator Laura. Sorry for the hair in the right shot; I’m only employed with a dinky 7.2 megapixel Canon that is so… three years ago. :P Saving up for a DSLR!

Luuuuuuurve the racerback!

Ten models, four rotations, and over forty looks as Salak and Gunn would occasionally “mix things up a bit” by switching pieces every so often; a few looks were presented side by side to show the audience the versatility of a certain garment (above).

Before you call PETA, it was all faux fur. The fake stuff. NOT REAL. Easy for the hair-squeamish. Happy animals. No chickens were genetically modified, chemically mutated, forcefully fed or harmed in the making of this garment. Please put down your tomatoes and your paintball guns. Thanks.
I think my illustrations and arrows point out quite nicely what I was thinking when this look came down. :) I <3 href="http://www.fannypak.com/">Fanny Pak!
Audience shot. As you can see, lots of people came out for Tim Gunn. :P
And lots of mixed patterns and prints. Always be very careful, and Gunn himself cautioned the audience and related vignettes of his own private interactions with the mirror when trying to coordinate his clothes.
Another obvious trend for the fashion conscious this season is, as shown above, the neutral/neon combo. Most of these dresses were part of the final looks referred to as the “Little Black Dress” finale, and that was undoubtedly my favorite part. :) I’m a sucker for dressing up (as Mr. Gunn noted later), and it was nice to see a quarter of the show emphasizing sartorial sophistication in the one garment that really is iconic for all women to own. The last dress though, below, was a bit of a let down, but very sparkly.
The clincher about the coat is that the lining features lipstick prints from all the employees in the kate spade new york New York office, so that was a cute little story. :)

After all the looks were shown, the models did one last walk down to display the LBDs one more time, adn Tim Gunn took over the stage, giving away a few raffle prizes (Project Runway Season 5 DVD, a signed copy of his A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style, and a talking bobblehead of himself!) and holding a short Q&A session that was much too short. =P But there's life.

Mr. Gunn answered questions ranging from being intimidated by other’s fashion styles (to emulate or to not emulate?), the value of education in the fashion industry, style snafus on Project Runway, busty fashions, and being a stylish child (the last one was quite amusing to watch as Gunn struggled to contain his perplexity at the youths interrogating him).

The first (public) portion ended with an invitation for all to attend a private reception on the South side of Somerset in the Lincoln/Mercury Green Design Showcase to meet Tim Gunn, be photographed, and receive a special gift (ooh la la!). Hence, a shot of the line. I don’t recall how long it took; my sister just got really mad because I kept babbling. :P There were a few makeup artists on site as well, for those who wished to wait in another line for a free touch-up and airbrush, but… being abandoned at Kohl’s two years ago on Black Friday to wait in line for four hours while my mother and my sister left the store has instilled me with the inability to quietly and patiently wait in line for extended periods of time, unless it is to meet a modern fashion icon such as Tim Gunn.

My mom took these pictures. She does not know how to use a camera. Or the DVD player… but she’s a software engineer. I don’t really understand her either sometimes.

Mr. Gunn caught offguard, lol. :) I got about 30 seconds to talk with him (omgihadtotalklikethisorelseiwouldhavelikenooootime), and asked him a quick question about his opinion on fashion bloggers’ impacts on the industry (“I love how fashion has become more accessible, I think it’s great people are more inclined to dress well now!”) and tell him that I had asked him a question in his TIME’s 10 Questions interview last year and how awesome that was one I saw it in the magazine. *squee*

Unfortunately, he was legally obliged not to sign anything, so all I came out with was this dinky picture, a set of holiday cards, memories, and a Godiva truffle (never mind that I had eaten two while waiting in line, and stared quite longingly for some Moet&Chandon for my parched throat. But I’m underage, attempting to be straight-edge, and my mother was present). I really dig the greeting cards though; I will post up pictures of those later.

My mom had been craving P.F. Chang’s sea bass for the last month, and we decided to just go there after the whole fashion hullabaloo and unwind. :) Some cam-whoring between my sister and I, but a nice lady offered to take a picture of the three of us having a girl’s night out, so you can see how awesome we look. :D (My sister would like to take this time to point out that she is wearing a kensie dress that she bought the day before at $15, versus the $118 normal retailing price, and that she adores the Macy’s sale rack and has a special “fashion eye.”)

I’m wearing, on the pictures in the left, a Buffalo by David Bitton mock turtleneck (from my mummy’s closet), an Express skirt, tights from Target, and Mudd suede ankle boots. On the right, I’ve got my DKNY camel coat and a Derek Lam purse (hardware = hard muscles! That bag is heavy).

Mmmm… food. :) And just to leave you with one last picture, here’s my fortune:

Believe it or not, our dinner finished at 5.20 in the evening. :P Instead of going home and sleeping off all the excitement from the afternoon’s festivities, we gals went off to shop some more. XD Fooled around with some Manolos and then bought a pair of Miu Miu sunglasses. :) A very satisfying day!

[At the beginning of the show, Salak mentioned that she herself had not slept in 24 hours, and that Gunn had been awake for 36. I was later informed that Mr. Gunn, in the morning, had spent quite a while on set in New York City shooting for the Sex and the City 2 movie, and had flown in right before the show began. Whew for them too!]

REMing

I just dreamed that I encountered a transvestite who was thoroughly pierced facially and believed I was asking him about LGBTQ rights when I passed by him on the way to a kiddie fair. Going to the fair, the transvestite then decided to tag along and then cooed as I was given a baby lamb by an old lady.

The grey ewe was sitting unblinkingly next to the old lady as she continued to knit a pair of garishly pink mittens.

Baahh.