Tokyo Quadrille

For the Love of God.

2012-02-12T02:23:00.000+09:00

For the Love of God - Damien Hirst 2007
source

A platinum cast. 8601 diamonds. Human teeth.

For the Love of God, this is beautiful.

A couple years ago I almost bought a gorgeous t-shirt at the Mori Art Museum Shop with a print of this piece by Hirst, but then gave up when I saw the price-tag -16000JPY.

I'm way too obsessed with skulls. All your fault, Alexander. All your fault.

If you, like me and pretty much anyone else in the whole galaxy, feel like you need a bling bling skull in your life but are unlikely able to spend 50 million pounds on it,

DO NOT PANIC.

iartistlondon sells a kit that will enable you to turn yourself into Hirst and create your own For the Love of God for a mere 49.9 pounds.

Sweet, isn't it?

Since I have some デコ電 (dekoden aka blingin' stuff up in Japanese) experience, I might give it a try.

La Moda Giapponese

2011-11-09T07:30:00.001+09:00

via brunoagostinho

La moda giapponese si presenta ai più come uno spettacolo di teatro Kabuki: chiassosa, esagerata ed incomprensibile. Questo è il messaggio che le famigerate Harajuku Girls passano, quasi con aria di sfida, ad un Occidentale che ancora ama stupirsi di fronte alle stranezze Made in Japan. Spesso si ricordano i grandi nomi nipponici della moda, come Rei Kawakubo e Issey Miyake, mentre meritevoli stilisti emergenti restano purtroppo ancora ignoti al grande pubblico. Ponte tra tradizione e modernità, la moda giapponese accetta il suo passato per affrontare con grinta il futuro, in linea con lo spirito nipponico che con grande coraggio riesce a superare anche i momenti più tragici, ultimo tra i quali il Terremoto di Tohoku. Tessuti che richiamano la ricchezza di preziosi Kimono, tagli concettuali che invocano una profonda austerità, propria della cultura giapponese, che però ben volentieri si sposa con innovazione ed high-tech. Mai scontata, sempre sconvolgente, questa è la moda giapponese.

My thoughts on Japanese fashion in 1000 characters, posted as a comment on VOGUE Italia Editor Franca Sozzani's blog, in which she is asking readers to describe what they thinks about Japanese fashion. Not my best, but expressing what I think about Japanese fashion in 1000 characters is quite challenging.

Grande Giove.

2011-09-11T01:48:00.003+09:00

GRANDE GIOVE

If you love Back to the Future as much as I do and happen to have a couple (or possibly more) thousand dollars laying around, go and bid for a pair of those limited edition Mag Nike shoes here.

And don't feel guilty, it's a charity auction.

Mod&The City

2011-09-01T18:56:00.003+09:00

Back in Italy after a short vacation in Sweden, and now getting ready London. But, before that, I'll be spending about 10 days in Munich and experience for the first time the mayhem of Octoberfest. Wish me good luck.
Anyway, the following pictures perfectly express what I'll be expecting from this autumn: city life and mod, a LOT of mod.
Furthermore, Karlie Kloss styled by Giovanna Battaglia equals perfection. Pictures as seen on VOGUE Japan September 2011.

That Prada dress and that Issey Miyake coat are beyond fabulous.

via Fashiongonerouge.com

My own design comes to life ~ Shoes of Prey Leopard Booties

2011-07-10T13:27:00.003+09:00

I was awoken by a rather long earthquake today (epicenter was in Iwate, please can you just leave them alone, Mother Nature?), and a few minutes later mailman knocked my door and delivered me a package containing a lovely surprise... A new pair of shoes!

A few weeks ago I designed a pair of ankle booties on Shoes of Prey, a website that allows costumers find their perfect order-made pair of shoes. It's great for those girls like me, who are always looking for the perfect pair of shoes but can never ever find anything near what they have in mind. I'm absolutely picky when it comes to shoes, as I pay way too much attention to material, design, particulars, comfort and so on. I don't buy too many shoes because it's quite hard for me to find shoes that actually meet my standards but I was pleasantly surprised by Shoes of Prey.

Here's the design...

Hair - Leopard, Suede - Black, 8.8cm Heel

And here's what I got! Sweet, right?

Tatami mats and leopard shoes. Yeah.

The shoes came in a sleek black box, containing a dust bag, paddings and two types of heel cushions and a picture of the shoes I designed. I love how Shoes of Prey wants their shoes to be as comfortable as possible and perfectly fit the costumer's feet, as you can also specify wether your feet is on the wide side.

The quality of the shoes is really nice and they seem to be really easy to walk in, as the heel is not too high (I chose a 8.8cm height, but you can get taller heels as well) and the platform makes things even better. Another bonus point is that Shoes of Prey only uses genuine leather, which is just the best for your feet.

Now, let's talk about the design itself. I am a big animalier fanatic, and as it seems that the whole trend won't fade anytime soon, I chose to use a leopard print for my shoes. I imagined myself wearing those shoes paired with a simple, possibly monocolor, outfit so the leopard print would pop and define my style.

Check Shoes of Prey website out and design your own, unique dream shoes, and fell in love like I did with my leopard ankle booties.

Snap snap I'm snapping at you.

2011-06-30T11:15:00.004+09:00

It's summer here in Tokyo. Me and my fellow Tokyo people are battling the horrible humid summer heat. Looking good in such a weather is quite a challenge, but we still manage to be fab all the time. However, my bangs (yes, I got bangs back in Italy) become quite disgusting from time to time, but no worries, nothing that a shower cannot fix. Showering is the big thing, this summer. hehe.

I've purchased this lovely Cacharel for UNIQLO t-shirt a couple days ago. The print was just screaming my name, I had to get it. I'm all about bold prints lately.

Picture taken by mighty MARIE [BLOG]

Via be.com

By the way, make sure to check out my VOGUE Japan blog, Marie and I have been taking fashion snaps around our university, Waseda University. We are taking snaps of Japanese and International students, boys&girls. I'm really enjoying this experience, as it's quite refreshing for me to focus on street fashion from time to time. I do love high fashion, but as a 20-something student without a steady income I can easily relate to street fashion. BUT, I'm a dreamer, and my dreams are made of Chanel and Alexander McQueen (old school McQueen, thx).

WASEDA GIRLS fashion snaps Part 1
WASEDA BOYS fashion snaps Part 1

Gyaru Anna

2011-04-08T18:19:00.003+09:00

via Jak&Jil Blog

Anytime I see this AdR picture I think of those gals who walk the streets of Shibuya, and their phone charms. Gloomy Bear's bloody paw and the Cheshire Cat's psychedelic tail were huge among them, and resemble this beautiful Prada fur (yet, I still don't know how I feel about real fur). Big fat furry charms on Shibuya Gals' cell phones and fluo fur for AdR.

Gimme some Opium.

2011-03-11T00:56:00.004+09:00

Dude.
Seems like someone is obsessed with YSL latelty. Truth is that I'm not, but I still believe that everybody should be obsessed with YSL in general.

When I was a kid I used to be fascinated by Opium, the Yves Saint Laurent iconic scent. Kiddo Alice would run to the bathroom and smuggle some Opium. That big, bold and exotic looking flask was just too attractive to me. I still remember holding it. And perhaps spraying it on my clothes feeling like the fairest of the ladies under the mannish bob I had to keep for many years. Back then, I could have been disguised as a boy, an incredibly handsome boy, but still a boy. I had a decent collection of miniature perfumes and samples. Lots of shapes and scents, that kept me busy for many hours. Sometimes I used them to "wash" the bathroom: every tile with a different perfume, resulting in a nauseous smell. But then, there it was. Winking at me in all its glory. Someday the perfume was over and the flask finally gone. The thought of the scent itself was gone as well, and I grew up and forgot about Opium and its world.
But, out of nowhere, the memory of Opium is back, and once in a while I know what to buy for my mother, who was patient enough to let me waste her perfume when I was a kid. Still, I don't feel like calling it "a total waste", since it gave me so much, even though I cannot say what I gained from years of sniffing Opium. And yes, I'm talking about the perfume, you silly!

On a side note for my future partner in crime that I have yet to meet: I demand a flask of Opium for my 30th birthday. I will be ready for it, then. To quote BRITNEY SPEARS (Yes, I just did it), I'm not a girl not yet a woman. I'll be a woman the day I'll be wearing Opium.

Pic via stsfragrance.com

YSL Manifesto 2011

2011-03-05T07:07:00.003+09:00

If you are lucky enough to be in one of the following cities, New York, Milano, Paris, London, Hong Kong, Los Angeles or Tokyo, make sure to grab your copy of Yves Saint Laurent, which will be distribuited an original tote bag. Just make sure to be in the right place at the right time. Don't forget to grab a Manifesto for me as well, I think I deserve it.

Image via Vogue.it

This is the third year in a row I miss the Manifesto. I'm missing out way too much this month in Tokyo. Ah, so much for some rest.

Vogue Style Blog

2010-10-29T17:19:00.004+09:00

As I previously mentioned on this blog, there are some big news for me~
If you are following me on Twitter (@alicetokyo) you already know what I am talking about.
But, but.

A while ago I was approached by the staff of , and asked if I was interested in becoming a blogger for their portal. Obviously I said yes, and here I am, a VOGUEtte blogger for Vogue Japan's online portal. I believe this experience will be really rewarding and exciting for me, I still don't know why they choose me. Thank you anyway, VOGUEさん!

Alice's Blog
(here's the link)

I will be blogging in Japanese, but even if you don't speak Japanese I suggest you to check it every now and then, since some special contents related to Japan and Japanese fashion and events will be only aviable on my Vogue blog and not on Tokyo Quadrille. On those must-see posts I will add English captions as well, so don't worry about it.

If you want to leave some comments or simply browse the blog, but are not too familiar with Japanese, no problem! Here we go.

To leave comments:

Easy, isn't it! Feel free to leave comments in English/Italian/French as well!

Now, let's talk a little about the pretentious picture I'm using as my icon...

You cannot really see it, but I feel like writing a couple of lines about the jacket I was wearing for this shot (which I took myself, by the way). It's a great vintage piece, a Moschino Haute Cuture jacket from the 80's. I cannot take any credit for this awesome thrift, since I just stole it from my friend... She tried it on, and was too big for her. "Hey, mind if I try it on?". And there I am, with a jacket that compliments my curves (euphemism) and looks great on. I need to take a nice outfit picture featuring this baby.

That's all folks, hope to see you on my Style Blog for Vogue, but keep checking Tokyo Quadrille, my little treasure~ Ah, I love blogs way too much.

Ready to wear FF 2010 H A I R

2010-10-24T00:36:00.004+09:00

So... I had my hair cut the other day and felt inspired enough to post something related today.
Those hair styles are from the ready-to-wear show FF 2010. Pictures from Style.com

I love love black hair, but I never had enough nerve to go fully black. Well, one time I dyed it black, but it wasn't permanent so I guess it doesn't count.
Tao looks extremely cute in her mushroom cut. It's so Tao.
Agyness as usual looks adorable in her trademark (??) hair-cut. My friend Ayana had a similar style, and I totally love it. Too bad she had her hair cut again~ Ayana go back to the Agyness cut please!
The Chanel style was indeed bigfoot style, but hey, we did not forget that yeti parade.

Sooo, braids for winter. Too bad EVERYONE got already bored with braids, since every fashionista, fashion blogger, and random person already showed off braids in every possible angle.
Miu Miu's two tone hair is indeed tempting cool and all, but I guess my hair looks like that when I'm to lazy to dye (or have it dyed) my hair for too long. And no, I'm not sure if I like some uber-popular fashion blogger's hair I won't name. There's a thin line between boho chic and lazy/borderline homeless.
Freja hair for Chloe' is HOT. And this time I really mean it. I should get a similar hair-cut/perm, since the shape of my face is pretty Freja-ish when I slim down. To bad now I can roll around instead of walking. Ha.

Blonde is pretty.
Should I join the Barbies or stay by the Dark Side of the Power?
I heard they have cookies.

Ok, I just realized this post makes no sense. Or no, wait. Maybe you can consider one of the above hair-styles when having your hair done?

You're sexy&gorgeous.

2010-10-21T17:39:00.003+09:00

via Style.com
Ferre' backstage Autum/Winter RTW 2010

Word.
Every woman is sexy and gorgeous.
Yet sometimes we manage to forget it.

Ladies, be strong.

First Day of School

2010-10-15T23:47:00.005+09:00

Last Friday I had a very special meeting, but I will talk about it in detail in a week or so. Big news, who knows... he he he. I can only say I'm really excited!

My friend Marie was nice enough to take some pictures of me with her new camera, so after a long time I can post some pictures of my outfit. Thank you dear!

The outfit itself is really simple, and it's loosely based on the uniforms editorial on November's Nippon Vogue. In Italian schools uniforms are not mandatory, and only a few schools actually uses them. I've always liked uniforms, not only because they are terribly cute, but also because students always look neat and tidy for school. I really like this trend, because finally I can wear a "uniform" out on the streets without looking like a complete weirdo. Note the lack of make-up, so not me hahah

shirt n/a - sweater GAP (bf's) - skirt thrifted - shoes Fausta Moretti - bag bf's - criss cross necktie's pin Jiji (Maho no Takkyubin)

Sadly I forgot to ask Marie to take better pictures of my criss cross necktie and the pin I used. It's such a pity because it was so cute!

I don't remember if I was running for real or just posing, but my face is hilarious so I decided to post this one, just for you to have a laugh at my funny face.

My favorite photographer and dear friend, Marie. She's the sweetest and prettiest girl ever, too bad she always hides behind her kickass camera!

That's her trying to cheer up a sad Joe, from the boxing manga Ashita no Joe - Tomorrow's Joe. Random stuff you can only find in Japan, I guess.

Chanel, manga and platform shoes.

2010-10-10T02:19:00.004+09:00

CHANEL SS11 shoes. Style.com

I've heard (and read online) a lot of people was addressing Chanel platform shoes as "plain ugly", but I find them so gorgeous I just kept staring at the shoes ignoring the clothing hanging on the models. People keep repeating "Less is more" like it was some kind of mantra, but when it comes to reality everybody looks the fancy clothes and crazy shoes. I've always been extremely picky with shoes. Those Chanel shoes are pure perfection expressed trough a clean and practical design. I can't really imagine my feet hurt when wearing platforms. I just noticed I pasted a pair of sleek leather boots in, without any platform under it, but it was just a reminder for me since those would be the perfect boots I've been hunting for ages. Not that I can afford them, but it's nice to know that THEY DO EXIST.
Platforms might scream 90's, but I do not care, even if I regard the 90's as a big disgrace to the humanity in its whole essence. Ok, I just wanted to exaggerate.

Original Artwork by Yazawa Ai, pictures from here

Those pictures come from the Japanese comic "Gokinjo Monogatari" by the mangaka Yazawa Ai.
Note the platform shoes and sandals. It's pretty funny, because whenever I find myself sketching shoes I only draw platform shoes, platform boots and platforsm sandals. Ha.
To be honest I do not read manga (excluding Ushijima-kun. Loan sharks, oh yes.), but I've always liked Yazawa's illustration and sense of style. Probably you've heard before of a manga/anime called "Nana". One of the two main characters, Nana, was a huge fan of the British designer Vivienne Westwood and could often be spotted wearing her rocking shoes and orbs were EVERYWHERE. My boyfriend bought the whole Nana manga collection in Japanese a while ago, but I still have to read it. My bad.

Back to Paris

2010-10-08T02:19:00.004+09:00

Fashion Show pictures Style.com - Collage by me

It's late, I should be already sleeping because tomorrow it's going to be a pretty intense and hopefully worthwile day (and big news may follow, hehe).
But... I HAD to give birth to this post, because Hermès just left me speechless. Jean Paul, you do deserve my unconditioned love for this. I should write something about his label as well, but as for now, I'm all about Hermès ss11.
Dusty gunfighters and masked avengers wrapped in leather, oh yes. Everything was so much Back to the Future Part 3, Wild Wild West and Zorro. I loved it, the whole Spaghetti Western feeling and the sudden need to shot some beans jars just for fun.

Anyway... Some Best of the Best spotted as well~

Martin McFly (with poncho)

Indiana "Indy" Jones

Sancho Panza

El Zorro

Take Ivy

2010-10-03T01:13:00.006+09:00

Take Ivy, in other words the World before the Sartorialist took over the industry of classy street snap-shoots.

Pictures from "Take Ivy", collage by me.

Take a bunch of Japanese gentlemen passionate about American prep fashion in the '60, and lot of well groomed young American men, studying at top class institutions and you will get Take Ivy, once a legendary and mysterious fashion bible and now one of the thousands of books avaiable on Amazon. Oh, you Internet, made everything so immediate and somehow boring.

This post is also dedicated to my American friend Ross. Seeing him on campus was always a pleasure, because of his great taste in clothes and peculiar personality, which always remembered me of the fine young men I could admire on Take Ivy (and made me wonder if Ross had a DeLorean hidden somewhere). This World, and Waseda University in particular, needs more refined people like Ross (and with the SAME taste in shoes, please).

Jil Sanders x UNIQLO

2010-10-01T21:38:00.004+09:00

Open the future
Luxury will be semplicity.
Purity in design, beauty and comfort for all.
Quality for the people.
Basics are the common language.

The future is here: +J

A new collaboration between the Japanese UNIQLO and the German designer Jil Sander, in the name of democratic luxury. Despite being ridiculously cheap (a pair of denim can cost as low as 990Y), UNIQLO offers a great deal in terms of quality and price. This new collection is indeed minimalist and defined by clean lines, typical of Jil Sander.
The collection will be avaiable from October 15 (JAPAN) in selected UNIQLO stores.

The +J campaign features Raquel Zimmerman and Christan Ochsenfahrt

#04 Wool Flannel Chesterfield Coat

#01 Wool Tuxedo Jacket

For more pictures and information please visit UNIQLO +J website.

Random.

2010-09-27T22:51:00.005+09:00

Spontaneous rainbow featuring my dirty black Converse, proving that everything can be beautiful under the right light.

The Best of The Best 2011

2010-09-26T23:29:00.005+09:00

If you already are a follower of this blog you might know of my obsession in connecting fashion with pop-culture. Here's a new episode of "The Best of The Best", completely dedicated to S/S 2011 (which was quite a disappointment to me). More to come, I hope, but as for now enjoy~

Betsey Johnsons meets The Smurfs
Because y'all know you need a Smurf outfit in your wardrobe. Just don't ask me WHY.

Jeremy Scott meets ハードゲイ　(Hard Gay)
Leather pants+thong. Nuff said.

Jil Sander meets the Jocker
Jil Sander like clean lines, and so does the Jocker. WHY SO SERIOUS, SANDER?

Just Cavalli meets Poison Ivy
Animalier got boring, so let's try with plants this time. And I've got a rush just by looking at the pictures of the show.

Prada meets the Cheshire Cat
THIS IS MADE OF AWESOMENESS AND MAGICAL PUSSY. How many Cheshire Cats did they kill to make that massive fur tail? Me wants, me needs.

Victoria Beckham meets Victoria Beckham and Victoria Adams aka Posh Spice
OH YOU, POSH SPICE.

My hopes are all reposed in Victor&Rolf now.

Check out the old BEST OF THE BEST 2010 (Episode One & Two).

Omotesando is a place on Earth

2010-09-22T09:52:00.004+09:00

(Field trip itinerary by Prof. Will Galloway, pictures various sources, collage by me)

Omotesando is the Mecca of Architecture, no doubts about it. A open air exposition of the best names of modern Architecture concentrated in a few square kilometers. Amazing buildings containing tailored dreams, sueded sins and quilted joy.

If you happen to be in Tokyo you should pay a visit to this Architecture and Fashion sanctuary and feel lost in its beauty. Tokyo can be so ugly at times, but places like Omotesando redeem the soul of this otherwise lost city.

Lucky red shoes.

2010-09-10T03:10:00.003+09:00

I know I should be thinking of my Wonderland, but sometimes I feel like a little Dorothy, lost in the Land of Oz. This is when, almost unintentionally, I buy red clothes and accessoires.
The story behind these cute Marc Jacobs ballerina is quite funny, since I almost forgot I ordered them a few months ago on the net. When I came back to Italy to spend my summer break in my hometown, I found a pretty box next to my bed, and I naively thought it was a present from my mom.

I'm saving them for a "bon-ton" and romantic outfit, perhaps for a lovely winter date?
Oh, a girl can dream.

Paperdolls

2010-08-24T04:09:00.002+09:00

When I was a kid I used to play a lot with the now nostalgic paperdolls. I loved to mix and match those little clothes made of paper and find endless combinations. It was such a fascinating game for me. Years later I started playing around with the so-called Kiss Dolls. A Kiss Dolls is basically a paperdoll made of pixels. At the time I used to draw dolls in pixel all the time, and one of my dreams was to build my own Kiss Doll, but the programming part has always scared me to death. I hate programming, yes I do. Today, while lazily browsing HeM I found out their "Fashion Studio", a clever evolution of paperdolls, which also simplifies the whole shopping-process.

These are some of my pics, something I would wear for the upcoming fall. Yes, I'm already excited about fall. I would also love to see more outfits created by using this software, so please link your creation in the comments!

I already got the poncho.

Ayana and Yasu

2010-08-01T01:42:00.004+09:00

Ayana and Yasu are two Japanese friends I met in college. I met Yasu during my first year at Waseda, during an architecture class. You know when you see someone and then you wish you could be friends with them? Something like that happened with him. I don't really remember how we started talking, but I knew we would eventually become friends. Yasu then introduced me to Ayana, since the three of us (plus another energetic friend, Chi-chan) were taking the same class, about the discovery and research of Dinosaurs. Call me random.

Yasu is always smiling, and his style is often colorful and ironic. His signature garment? Denim vests. Yasu also owns a special denim vest, painted on the back by one of his friends. Yasu is also a music lover, and sometimes a DJ.
Yasu's blog: NIPPON NO NINGEN

Ayana is a graceful young Japanese woman. Her style is incredibly neat and harmonious. She has a preference for stripes, possibly in navy blue or red. Ayana's hair is always nice, and this haircut is so lovely and looks great on her.

VOGUE.talk

2010-07-30T02:38:00.003+09:00

I'm finally done with all my exams, papers and Japanese tests. Feels good, feels like summer. I will be back in Europe in a few days, after a brief stop in Abu Dhabi. So random.

No snapshots, no pictures, nothing. I have been busy watchin Spice Girls' videos. I could do some shopping, and it's bad to say something like this, but... God bless the economic crisis. Sales here in Japan seem to not come to an end, and this allowed me to buy some clothes for cheap, which is not bad at all. I still hope that the Euro exchange rate will get better, tho.

Switching to another topic, now.

What if only people interested in FASHION were allowed on Facebook. What if all the groups on Facebook were fashion related. What if... there's no what if, for us Japanese speaking people, now.
VOGUE NIPPON created a new SNS, for Voguettes around the Japanese archipelago. I am having so much fun on that website, and I really hope it will grow and become a bigger comunity.
So, if you speak Japanese, VOGUE.talk is the place to go!

Tokyo Sweets Factory Third Anniversary Party

2010-07-06T23:34:00.003+09:00

Today I went with the adorable Emi to Tokyo Sweets Factory's Thirs Anniversary Party. What can I say? It was such a sweet party and I had a lot of fun there. I really like this kind of party, nice food, good music, cool people&chill. Hope to attend more parties like this one in the near future.

Me taking a picture of Emi taking a picture of cupcakes. Yeh.

They have a really cute aprons line, so posh.

The organizers! On the right, Mai from "Just another Typical Night in Tokyo. The most famous party girl in Tokyo was djing as well!

They also had a cupcake/biscuit decoration workshop. This is mine, isn't so cute?

Macarons and candles, every girl's dream.

Dj Peli

And Misha Janette, a great fashion stylist, journalist and blogger.

Maxi Bag

2010-07-03T13:37:00.005+09:00

dress H&M / tshirt H&M / cardi GEMMA UOMO H. (boyfriend's) / belt my roomie Nadya left behind when she moved out / ring F21 / necklace Vivienne Westwood / flip-flops Hawaianas

This is my take on maxi-dresses, no boho-chic but your-average-highschool-goth-kid. Sorry for the last picture, it's quite gross, but that's the only picture which shows the belt.

I was coming back home from college, when I felt the urge of some junk food, and I stopped at the local McDonalds. I ordered a small yoghurt milkshake and french fries, and the whole thing came with that huge bag. Quite funny, isn't it. They always have this bad habit of giving out HUGE shopping bags.

When you see it.

2010-07-03T02:38:00.003+09:00

Pictures from Nicola Formichetti's blog

This is the type of guy I'd do anything for. The fluffy dark hair, the forelock, the unbottoned shirt and that pronounced nose make me smile whitout a reason. That exquisite Italian feel I love.

And then... Oh, who cares. I will just enjoy those pictures without thinking too much and get my copy of Vogue Hommes this September.

The Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes

2010-06-15T02:06:00.003+09:00

Last Sunday my boyfriend surprised me with a couple of tickets for the World Press Photo 10 exhibition in Tokyo, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography. I am hugely interested in photography as a media, and the field of photojournalism is definitely one of my favorite.
One picture is worth a thousand words, said some wise man or woman, and I do believe in this kind of iconic-zen-philosophy.

Being the fashion junkie I am, the pictures (and the story) that immidiately thrilled me, where the shots by Francesco Giusti, an Italian photographer, who portrayed some of the members of the Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes, in short "SAPE". The pictures can be somehow compared to high-class street-snapshots, like the Sartorialist ones. If I will ever have the chance to meet Mr. Scott again I will absolutely beg him to pay a visit to SAPE members. I am an appreciator of men's fashion and style, you got me.

The way those gentlemen from the Republic of Congo can be seen as modern dandies is fascinating, and shows how fashion does not know any boundary. And yes, FASHION IS ART.

From the World Press Photo 10 web-page dedicated to SAPE:

The Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes (Society of Entertainers and Elegant People, SAPE), in Congo-Brazzaville, dates back to the 1920s and 1930s when privileged Congolese returned stylishly dressed from visits to Paris. Members of the SAPE, known as Sapeurs, see themselves as artists and often have nicknames and distinguishing gestures or poses. Some have celebrity status.

To view more pictures of SAPE members, please refer to this page

Somen

2010-06-11T16:48:00.003+09:00

You realize that there's something wrong with you when you start putting heart-shaped ice cubes in your Friday somen. I'm so obsessed with somen, some kind of Japanese capellini, served cold and dipped into some fish and shoyu souce. So fresh and perfect for summer.
The radish in my salad is home grown. I'm so proud of my radish, so pretty and tiny.

Tonight it will be a night of mayhem, because my friends and I will be going to the infamous club Atom, in Shibuya. Milla and I used to be regulars at Atom, since we were "friends" (in a very Japanese way) with some of the people working there. Fashion-wise, Atom is quite hell. Think of your local hooker, put a volouminous wig on her head, fake lashes and there you go, your average Atom girl is ready to shake her hips to some trance music. Well, you never feel out of place in Atom. My outfit for tonight will be outrageous, and yes, I'm so excited about it. On the other hand, I'm quite afraid to post any picture of it on my blog, because people could blackmail me forever if I ever post something like that. Uh, just kidding. Maybe I will post something, who knows. I just feel like going back to 2007, when I was into Shibuya-style fashion.

Quite a random entry. Sorry.

Lady Dragon

2010-06-10T01:03:00.004+09:00

A while ago I bought the adorable Lady Dragon by Vivienne Westwood for Melissa. I have a thing for Melissa, their shoes smell like candy floss, are water-proof (and believe me, in Tokyo water-proof shoes can save your life. My poor Marc Jacobs ballerina shoes are about to die because of rain, stupid me) and finally they're very comfortable, as they take the shape of your feet. I am a hopeless Vivienne fan, being her a trurly revolutionary and inspiring woman. I love how she is following her own idea of fashion without stooping to any compromise, starting from her couture line to the more affordable Anglomania. I have been craving the Lady Dragon for more than one year, and finally I had the courage to get some. The color choice wasn't the best, so I went for the dove/blue ones, but... Yes, there's always a "but". I've had these shoes for more than one month, and they're still untouched. It seems I cannot put together a decent outfit. Any suggestion? Please?

Perfect weather in Harajuku

2010-06-05T18:32:00.003+09:00

I should be working on a report in Japanese and a presentation, both due this Monday, but of course I'm here procastinating and therefore I felt the urge to update the blog.

I went to Harajuku/Omotesando, one of my favorite area in Tokyo. A lot of affordable shops, even more luxury shops and a high chance of finding some greate vintage deals. I will blog more about this in future.

Being Friday afternoon, it wasn't so crowded, and there was no sign of the weird kids that usually spend their week-ends showing off their crazy outfits on this bridge.

Yuki, looking very professional in his recruit suit. I still remember his wild and dyed hair. Japanese youth change their looks so drastically during the so-called "job hunting".

We then moved to Shibuya and met Milla, for some speed shopping. Bea, me and Milla.

Kuni and Ken. He has a Canon, and I have a Nikon, therefore we cannot be friends.

We had some pizza at the new Sbarro, and despite being your usual picky Italian, I can say it was pretty decent.

Around 8 we went to Shima, because Milla's friend and hair stylist needed two "hair arrange models". He is Mr. Masuda and works at SHIMA Omotesando. He did our hair and then took some pictures. I also got my make up done, and they had to use so much conceal on my eye bags! I really liked the way Mr. Masuda styled our hair, we need some curls in our lives!

dress SLY / shorts UNIQLO / sandals Fornarina / bag Gilfy

Chi mi ama mi segua

2010-06-01T08:28:00.002+09:00

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Just sayin, but I would be happy if you can follow my blog on Bloglovin and GoogleFriends. I will have a giveaway when I will reach a certain number of followers, so stay tuned, freebies from Japan?! Yes, this and more on Tokyo Quadrille.

Usamimi

2010-05-30T17:37:00.011+09:00

I didn't want to put these online, but the show must go on and I should be studying right now so, here we are.
Just a random outfit I wore to uni last Thursday. I took the pictures right after coming back home, so my make up is quite funny. I was quite tired and forgot to use proper settings for my camera and the horrible pictures came as obvious result.

Sunday, crappy Sunday. Oh oh oh.

dress H&M / vest FUGA(my boyfriend's) / leggings LDS / glasses Tokyu Hands / necklace Vivienne Westwood

This is war.

2010-05-29T15:41:00.004+09:00

1 new Tweet. Oh, it's @topshoptopmanjp. The new Kate Moss for Topshop collection is out in Japan, finally. And then, I happen to click on the link. I laugh, uncontrollably. Topshop Japan, please stop making a fool out of your consumers, it's not even fun anymore.

Lace Trim Blouse

Topshop UK: £50
Topshop JP: ￥15.700 (£119)

Open Back Playsuit

Topshop UK: £80
Topshop JP: ￥25200 (£191)

Pansy Print Maxi Dress

Topshop UK: £85
Topshop JP:￥26250 (£199)

And here, a random treat for you all...

Cape Dress By Meadham Kirchhoff

Topshop UK: £300
Topshop JP: ￥68250 (£512)

I cannot take it anymore. Ok, we live in Japan, we live far away from "Western Fashion", so we deserve to be charged for our sins. But seriously, is charging more than the double admissible? A 20% extra charge would be ok, but charging more than the 50% sounds more like a joke. When my friends and I had our legendary stroll with Mr. Scott aka The Sartorialist, I had a chance to discuss the matter with him, and obviously what he said made sense. It's import merchandise, so naturally it's more expensive, and charging extra money for foreign brands is legit since it somehow protects local Japanese brands. But this. THIS-IS-MADNESS.

I invite my fellow readers from Japan to boycott Topshop Japan. It's ridiculous. We are not stupid, and want our money worth.

Any comment and thought on the matter is really appreciated. Is Topshop so overpriced in your country? Would you still buy Topshop clothes if you had to pay this amount of money? If you want to check out the page with all the prices, here we go.

Koenji pt1

2010-05-26T20:54:00.004+09:00

Koenji is a small district, located just outside Shinjuku, near Nakano. Koenji is easily reachable by using the Chuo and Sobu line. It's a small and quiet neighborhood that recently gained popularity because its very vintage and eccentric shops scattered around.
Take the South Exit, and then proceede trough this covered shopping street and finally explore the so-called LOOK, a Japanese "shotengai" (again, it means shopping street).
My bad, I didn't really focus on the clothes shops, but I rather took a bunch of pictures of curious objects and views. I will go there again and take some pictures of people and the awesome vintage clothes they have there. As for now, enjoy~

Gloomy Shibuya

2010-05-24T22:50:00.006+09:00

Pardon me, but today I look particulary bad. The weather was pretty bad, and Shibuya was pretty gloomy, and... grey? I quite hate the fact that I was wearing an outfit I usually wear in autumn.
If you don't know what Shibuya is, well. It's one of the main shopping district in Tokyo, and it is extremely popular among the so called "gyaru". Normal people shop there as well, since you can find almost every fast-fashion chain store in there. I may write a proper post on Shibuya in future.

Ok, how did I manage to make that face. This was the only full shot my boyfriend took of me. Well, there was another one, but one of my eyes was closed and the other one somewhat open. Terrible. Protip: get a boyfriend with photographic skills.

Outfit: jacket Zara / dress Uniqlo / belt my ex roomie Nadia left it behind / necklace&stocking Vivianne Westwood / shoes Melissa / bag Gilfy

K, this one is better.

Spot the "gaijin" (foreigner, in a quite rude way).

Hachiko, the real one.

Muralhachikoes.

And, the most disturbing thing you might find in a Japanese arcade. This is a new "Purikura" machine, and hey, it's so scary. Eww.

Toyama Park Adventure

2010-05-22T16:20:00.003+09:00

A pretty random Friday night, ended up in Toyama Park, with stray cats, clochards having barbecues and groups of students practicing African tribal dances to their boombox.

M I C K E Y M O U S E

2010-05-20T21:18:00.004+09:00

I really hate useless updates, but I had to show off my capitan Mickey Mouse long tee I got about one year ago. I love blue and I'm an avid Mickey tees collector. I woke up at 6:30 and then almost fainthed in the over-crowded Chuo Line train on my way to university. There was so much people in the train I almost couldnt get off at my stop. I had to show everybody some rugby moves. Ha.

Hopefully the next entry will be something interesting. I promise.

Japanese suburbs.

2010-05-16T17:00:00.001+09:00

A boring Sunday.

Marc.

2010-05-15T20:50:00.003+09:00

A while ago I took part in a contest, and I won something like 15.000JPY in "Tosho Card", a type of prepaid card that can be used only in book stores. I am spending this credit mainly for fashion magazines, and today I found something fancy.

Marc by Marc Jacobs e-MOOK, 1200JPY.

A e-MOOK is basically a catalogue with some pictures from the current season, some editoria-alike photoshoots and a bunch of local "celebrities" wearing the brand or holding purses.
They are pretty cheap, and always come with some kind of present.

(Horrible pics today. I had an argument with my camera, sorry)

And here's the present: a face towel, a mini pochette and a slide mirror.

The mirror is my favorite. It looks like a smiley, so pretty.

And them, two "charisma" make up artists, I guess.

Night night.

Octopus. Slurp.

2010-05-14T01:21:00.002+09:00

Lazy day at Uni and then dinner at Mihi's. Me without make up taking pictures in a toilet during class. I kind of like my very masculine eyebrows, and I like to look like a boy.
Also Baba glasses will save the World.

LV x V

2010-05-12T22:11:00.002+09:00

I was quite excited when I found this feature about Verbal on Louis Vuitton - The Journey of a Man. Verbal is said to be the most fashionable entertainer in Japan. His trademark are surely his crazy shades and accesories. He's a man of a very eccentric nature and umbelievable creativity. Producer, MC, member of M-flo and Teriyaki Boyz (remember the Tokyo Drift song?), he's also behind AMBUSH DESIGN. And, guess what, on top of that he's also a very friendly and nice person. Why do I know this?
Well, my friend and I met him last Halloween, when my gorgeous girl and me ruled Tokyo in Barbie costumes.
I will keep the rest of this story as a secret, because if I tell to much then what will happen to the mystery? Haha. Wondering what Verbal was wearing for Halloween?

(Pictures from LV - The journey of a man's wardrobe collage by me)
Visit the website for more stylish men around the World and more Verbal looks^

New in town.

2010-05-10T23:19:00.003+09:00

Please leave a comment and link a fashion/style/lifestyle/anything really blog I should check out. Post your blog as well, I'd love to check it out and leave some comments.
I'm bored and feel adventurous. Surprise me.
In exchange, flowers from my balcony&so much love.

Don't wanna go to school.

2010-05-10T11:08:00.004+09:00

'nuff said.

E.T. Telefono casa.

2010-05-09T23:18:00.003+09:00

I bought this tiny ET necklace a couple of months ago, at Kinji in Harajuku, for 105JPY. It's original ET merchandise released by StarPower in 1982, still new and untouched. When I opened it I felt like I was back in the 80's. Sadly, I only bought one of them and when I went back to the shop all the ET accessories were sold out. I died a little inside.
But, whenever I wear my ET necklace I feel very happy and a warm 80's vibe embraces me and my thoughts for a while.

Do you have any "emotional" jewelery piece? I would like to hear your stories.

(In the meanwhile I spent the last three day being disgusting with a bald cold)

Sunny

2010-05-05T22:54:00.002+09:00

Golden Week Day 5: May 5th

Bad hangover&cold. Trying to enjoy the lovely weather on my balcony, reading Vogue Nippon and tanning.

(My Uniqlo pjs)

緑の日

2010-05-05T16:33:00.002+09:00

Golden Week day 4: May 4th
Greenery Day Pic-Nic at Yoyogi Park

Digging my new instax. Terrible hangover followed.

Retro-me

2010-05-03T23:24:00.003+09:00

Golden Week day 3: May 3rd

Alice at home, alone, decided to go out without any make up and buy an instant camera.

One-piece SLY / denim Evisu / sandals ??

My pretty cheki instax mini 7s by Fujifilm.
I miss my old Polaroid camera, tho.

BBQ at Sawai

2010-05-03T22:49:00.006+09:00

Golden Week day 2: May 2nd, Sawai.

BBQ with Mihi&Friends in Sawai. They have some delicious Nihon-shu, so we go there about twice a year just to drink it and enjoy some fresh air.

7 foreigners and one lost Japanese on their way to Sawai / Ludvig at the mini-grill

Mihi walking away, Emilio with one of the bottles of Nihonshu / Beautiful wild Orchid

The "Sake Garden" / Lazy Rabbiddo

I *adidas* Tokyo / Karakuchi, Chukuchi, Umakuchi?

Dead Tomo by the river

Gyoza&Happy Birthday Abu.

2010-05-03T22:15:00.009+09:00

Golden Week, day 1: May 1st, Waseda.

Gyoza Party @Yasunchi featuring Abu's Surprise Birth Day.

I didn't know most of the people there, but Yasu's friends are ALWAYS cool people, you can't go wrong. A really nice night, spent drinking Umeshu and eating Gyoza. Some pictures-

Denim Vest: Yasu / Daphne decorating the cake

That's like a big dvd or something like that / Ayano djing

Modeling for osembe

Maya modeling gyoza / Cool rings

Me looking scary and then creepy (pictures by Chitose Cameraman)

Daphne's tatoo / Emiko, a taxidermist and her Vivianne Westwood ashtray

Yasu&Chatroulette / Chitose Cameraman

Bananas / I don't know what was going on

And finally Abu came! Happy Birthday!

Biglietti da visita

2010-05-01T12:54:00.003+09:00

Minimal is the way. I used Scribbler to write the Tokyo Quadrille thingy. I will make different designs, and this is the first one.

Spam IRL, oh yeah.

Flowers&Floral

2010-04-30T17:36:00.004+09:00

floral jumpsuit Zara / tshirt Snoopy / denim vest ?? / sandals Fornarina / sunglasses Dior / headband H&M

Two-tone hair is so last month. My undefined hair color is just better. Having fun on my dirty balcony, trying to keep my flowers and plants alive.

早慶戦

2010-04-29T23:01:00.005+09:00

Sokeisen, the never ending rivality between Waseda Uni. and Keio Uni. is often expressed trough sport events, like baseball, regatta and so on. We are supposed to be some kind of "Japanese Ivy Leaguers", but a lot dumber. Todays Sokeisen?

Everything involving big, sweaty angry guys mounting each other is a potential new favorite sport for me, and ladies and gentlemen, I'm happy to announce I just found out that I'm an american football lover.

The un-official 応援 team, but still hyper enough to draw on their chest and back the name of our University. The bear on Justin's back is made of awesomeness: holding a knife and not afraid of using it. Based on the Waseda Bear, but way cooler.

Guess the color of my Uni and you will win flying cheerleaders.

Touch Down, Dice K being euphoric. But it won't last for long...

Because we actually lost the game, the players had to bow down in front of us. American Football mamas looking up. Hordes of Keiotes, in blue. It was quite hilarious that there were more Keio players than Keio supporters. HA HA HA.

This guy in some kind of gyaru-o fashion, is holding a terribly interesting book. English as a fuc*ing second language. Will get that book for my boyfriend ASAP.

Therapeuthic okonomiyaki and shopping with Milla followed, because I was very very down.

Neon Super Girl

2010-04-27T00:10:00.003+09:00

Last Sathurday we randomly met this girl in Harajuku. She is a student in my University, and we attend the same faculty. Marie knew her, and asked to take a snap-shot of her outfit. And so did I. I recognized her because she always wears bright colors and her hairdo is flawless, no matter what . Some things can't just pass unnoticed. During the long and nasty Japanese winter her nice tan reminded me of the few days I spent rolling in the sun in some remote island in the middle of the ocean, last September. Memories.

The Sartorialist is in town.

2010-04-25T23:29:00.005+09:00

Sometimes you wake up in the morning and all you can think about is how awesome your life is.

You put your favorite shirt on and go with your beloved Milla for a meet&greet with The King of Style and Lord of Bloggers and have a brief but intense talk. You notice the trench and faint.

You, silly girl, get your agenda signed. A new treasure in your bag.

Then, you meet two amazing girls, and take a picture of them taking pictures of you and Milla. Respectively Marie and Emi (make sure to pay their blogs a visit, they are awesome).

Marie has to leave, and you and the girls decide to go for some window shopping around Harajuku.

NOW, STOP READING IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GET AN HEART ATTACK.

You walk back to some remote place near United Arrows where the meet&greet was held, because Hannah needs a veggie burger, and Emi and you crave lemonade. Time goes by, and at some point you just decide to go back home.
This is when a group of three girls walks into Scot Schuman on his way back to United Arrows, and are brave enough to ask him to take a "purikura" (mini-sticker pictures) together. And he says yes. Perfect timing? Destiny? Who knows, and who cares, honestly.
We spent a fair amount of time with him, walking back to Shibuya trough Yoyogi Park, went to Opening Ceremony and finally showed him the infamous 109 mall in Shibuya. We mainly talked about fashion and such, and it was terribly interesting. Mr. Scott is one of those (rare) people you could listen to for hours and hours without getting bored, a real source of inspiration for me and thousands of fashion craving human beings.

Absolutely priceless. April 24th is now The Sartorialist Day, on my calendar.
Emi got some pictures on her blog of our stroll, so check it out.

End of the story. Start breathing again.

Sex, freebies and rock 'n roll.

2010-04-21T20:22:00.007+09:00

Three things that your average college student won't ever refuse: sex, free food and free stuff in general. Bye bye rock 'n roll.

I have to admit that I am very interested in advertising and its special little world, and living in a big city like Tokyo gives me many opportunities to have a first-hand experience of creative advertising and crazy stuff. A couple of months ago I missed the YSL manifesto: free original totes were given out around the city; the RedBull Minis are everywhere, feeding me free Redbull, and Lipton free teabags in winter. I mean, how cool is this?

Today, Topshop/Topman had some campaign going on near the South Gate of Waseda Uni, in order to let us poor students know that they have a 10% discount all year round for poor students like us. I love repeting myself. Obviously I already knew it, because I know everything, but I thought it was just some esoteric myth or whatever. They even rode some cute bikes. I want a bike as well.

Two eyes in the dark! They're staring at me! Oh! It's just a Japanese lamp! No wait... it's a free tote! In YELLOW! (Tried the "artistic" take and failed)

What I found inside the tote. A pen, a "clear double folder" and some mini-catalog. Neat.
(The guys' version contained a notepad and no pens, they don't need pens)

Don't forget to Follow @topshoptopmanjp and @alicetokyo on Twitter!

My friends and me grabbed the free totes in 0.5 seconds, not because we are cheap, but because yeah, would you ever say no to free stuff? Would you? By the way, if someone from Burberry accidentaly stumbled onto my blog, they should know I have a huge thing for trench coats. Just saying. In honey, by the way.

The best of the best pt.2

2010-04-16T21:33:00.006+09:00

For your viewing pleasure. Enjoy x

Giorgio Armani meets Cruella de Vil

Hèrmes meets Tuxedo Kamen

Viktor&Rolf meets Rubeus Hagrid, Hogwarts Keeper of Keys and Ground

Viktor&Rolf meets Fester Addams

(Fashion show pictures from style.it)

Vogue.

2010-04-14T21:45:00.006+09:00

UT inspired by vintage Vogue covers from the Condé Nast Archive in New York. I really like how the dress of the lady matches my jacket. Pixelled mess in the background, and dirty mirrors are a must. Weird eyes can be a plus.

Marc by Marc Jacobs golden flat shoes/Melissa rubber wedges and Vivianne Westwood stocking

Outfit: tshirt UT (Uniqlo Tshirt) / jacket Zara / denim Evisu / Flats Marc by Marc Jacobs / hat F21

Spring, will you ever come?

Shinju, mon amour. No, not really.

2010-04-10T23:37:00.004+09:00

Today I wanted to go to some aquarium, mainly because I love the life under the sea and wanted to try my new DSLR camera. The whole situation had lead to a huge argument with my lovely boyfriend, and instead we had to go to Shinjuku, a commercial district in central Tokyo, for "some window shopping", which according to him it means "hunting for overpriced clothes with skulls on them in the only three shops I actually like, but at the same time we have to go up and down the same mall about five times and OMG THAT BURBERRY NECKTIE I NEEEED". Sweet. No outfit post, because 1)I looked miserable and used the camera I was holding as an excuse for looking ugly 2)my boyfriend wouldn't take a picture of me, because OH THE FLOWERS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET ARE SO PRETTY *shutter going crazy*.
Anyway, this is what I got.

Lumine 8F Restourants area, particulars of the walls. The first wall was made of old pc monitors, keyboards, fax machines and so on. Pretty fascinating. The second wall was made of colored pieces of plastic, in neon colors. Really pretty.

A huge crab. And it was moving. What else should I say? Tiffany's looking absolutely pretty, as usual. Even that ugly facade can look more acceptable because of Tiffany's.

0101 aka Marui, a popular shopping mall for young pepole. The neon thingy is a Uniqlo something. Uniqlo advertising can be pretty interesting.

Sabot with pink inserts. Issey Miyake, you know everybody loves you, but don't you think those are a little bit over the top? Camel and pink, for GUYS? No, not really. If you are interested, expect to pay 52.000JPY for those ehrm, those yeah, shoes mh. Isetan x VOGUE Nippon. Cats, Japanese love cats. The Isetan crowd love FASHIONISTAS CATS. Great.

I finally rewarded myself with some Italian gelato. 0101 1F is the spot, if you love gelato as much as I do.

Chinese tourists everywhere. I couldn't take a proper front picture, because they where EVERYWHERE and didn't move even after I started complaining in Japanese. However, in China they have giant-pandas, and here in Japan they have giant-cats. That thing is about 2.50meters tall, I guess. Did I mention the love for cats that Japanese have, did I?

I feel like it's time to go to bed.

College life in Japan is not exciting.

2010-04-06T23:35:00.005+09:00

Back to school, and finally as a sophomore. My schedule is pretty hectic, but I will try my best anyway. I need a stellar GPA or I can say goodbye to the Uni I want to go to as exchange student in NY.

Uber fascist architecture/View from bld10

Alice, Sophomore in Waseda Kindergarden and her new crayons (what my friends said)

And cherry blossoms, making this city look a bit more romantic.

And I recived a really lovely gift from Europe. Eheh.

Look around, there's no one.

2010-04-05T16:16:00.007+09:00

A night out.

Getting ready at Milli's place/Pretending to run away

Aoyama toilets have some nice mirrors/Milla's ALWAYS texting

Going to le Baron/Left le Baron for some tribal dance

Eiko experimenting human Tetris/Taxi ride to Azabu

At F-bar/Eiko and Jaco dancing

Trying to take a picture with Katsuya/Richie and... Katsuya in the background

Instant pictures... Yeah!/Going to Shibuya for some early morning pizza (Jaco and Jono ❤)
And this is what happend to my heels.

Outfit: Sweater:Gemma H. Uomo/ Top:one spo/ shorts:--/ Leggings:lds/ Heels:F21/ Flats:Minnetonka/ Jacket:HEAVENandEARTH/ Backpack:Dickies/ Thing on my head:H&M

Fin.

Big Bears

2010-04-03T09:14:00.003+09:00

Midget gummy bear/My new phone strap

Blasting psychedelic music at eight in the morning. My neighbours must love me. Sipping hot tea&Gettin ready for the Hanami madness and a night out, despite the five hours of sleep. Epic days, here in Tokyo. Expect a huge photo-dump tomorrow.

Juicy.

2010-04-02T23:31:00.004+09:00

The scanner wouldn't cooperate with me, so I had to take pictures. Those looks were featured on Elle Girl Japan (April Issue). The brand featurated in this shoots is Sly, which also happens to be one of my favorite "109" Japanese brands along Mussy and Spiral Girl.

1/2

I absolutely love the mini-dress in the first picture. That 70's touch, that Twiggy feel... If I were brave enough I would chop my hair and change my life. Enough said, this dress will be mine within a few days, I just can't resist it. The print reminds me of my grandma Giuseppina aprons, and melted my tender tender heart.

Tour Eiffel leggings? Paired with a Tour Eiffel tanktop? Only in Japan. Maybe that's not a Tour Eiffel but a Tokyo Tower. Who knows. I don't, and honestly I don't want to. But look on the upper corner, see that little Pluto? Isn't it pretty? Reminds me of one of those round Chanel bags. The little thing seems to be sold out everywhere, no wonder why.

This is madness.

2010-04-01T22:44:00.006+09:00

I remember when back in 2007 I went to Uniqlo with my pal Nadia, and bought my first denim skirt for 690JPY. That would be rougly 5.90euro today, but at the time the exchange rate was so sick I paid that skirt something like 4euro.

Uniqlo used to be the most un-fashionable brand here in Japan, and I can't really blame its status back then. The design used to be very plain and simple, but not in a neat way, the color rather boring and ugly.

But then some hansdome prince came and french-kissed the poor frog, turning it into a rather sexy princess. With some pimples, but still...

Nowadays Uniqlo offers some kick-ass basic garments and cool t-shirts for crazy prices. Uniqlo often collaborates with foreign and Japanese designers to create special lines. The Jil Sander x Uniqlo collaboration had a huge succes last spring.

Personally, what I love the most are Uniqlo t-shirts and leggings/tights. Someday I shall post a snapshot of all my Uniqlo t-shirts. Today I bought a Mickey Mouse t-shirt, in neon colors. I think I will sport this Mickey on drugs this Sathurday, at Yasu's Hanami. While I was checking the t-shirts out, a Japanese girl came by with a friend of hers, and basically said "OMG this t-shirt is chou kawaii (tres jolie), no, wait... this is Uniqlo! Jeez, if somebody finds out the shirt I'm wearing is from Uniqlo I would feel so embarassed..." and then stormed away.

990JPY of awesomeness.

Basically, this is what most of Japanese people think of Uniqlo. But don't worry, I can still trick them. I still think that a piece of crap can look awesome on the right person, and Uniqlo is lovely and look good on me. People has been asking me so many times where I got some of my clothes, and when I answer "Uniqlo" they go "NO WAY".

Basically, a certain type of Japanese fashionistas and wanna-be think that the more you pay the cooler you are, therefore Uniqlo is a big no. But, if you are in Tokyo pay a visit to Uniqlo, and I promise you won't regret it.

Sleepover.

2010-03-31T00:00:00.005+09:00

Girls love sleepovers. And so do Milla and I.
We ate some yummi food, had some wine, laughed at American cops busting people on cable tv, watched&commented a sexy Benicio del Toro and a charming Sean Penn in 21 grams, and finally took some pictures. Milla's wardrobe is a real treasure chest. I will post some pics later. I don't have all the pictures, because my lame D&G usb key is lame.

You cannot really tell, but I'm wearing denim on denim. It made me feel alive. Manly and sexy, paired with some brown lace-up shoes and the Porco Rosso glasses. And my legendary fake fur jacket.
Outfit: Jacket/H&M Denim shirt/Ralph Lauren(vintage) Shoes/Fausta Moretti Denim/Evisu

What a good day. This week will be awesome, I feel it. Sakura (cherry blossom) and awesome parties. Tokyo can be great, at times. I just hope I can find my digital camera, and take some pictures.

紅の豚

2010-03-28T20:16:00.007+09:00

A couple of days ago, I met my dear Milla in Shibuya. We strolled around Shibuya, as usual, and at some point we went to Tokyu Hands. We bought some seeds, she got a really cool Lomo and I fell in love with some sunglasses.

I don't really want to tell you that I found these lovely glasses in the "party goods" section. Oh so pretty. 1500JPY of madness.

They reminded in 0.5 seconds of the legendary Porco Rosso. Despite being a pig, the little dude has a great sense of style and a warm heart. Afterall, he's Italian.

A pig livin the good life.

Porco Rosso is an animation movie by Hayao Miyazaki, and I really suggest you to watch it.

I'm on a mission now. I will put togheter some Porco Rosso inspired outfit. I think I will go for the aviator-look.

Hérmes. Love the foulard and the brown tones of this look.

The best of the best.

2010-03-27T09:26:00.006+09:00

I had to. Fashion show pictures via Style.it.

Sonia Rykiel and Miu Miu meet Olive Oyl

Moschino Cheap&Chic meets Miss Piggy

John Galliano meets Falkor, the Luck Dragon

Tsumori Chisato meets Barbamama

Comme des Garçons meets Goku's Cloud

And finally...

Chanel meets the love-child of the Yeti and Bigfoot

A/W 2010-11 didn't fail me. Sweet.

Cherry girl

2010-03-25T20:51:00.005+09:00

OH. MY. GOD.

My DSLR virginity?

TAKEN!

Say hello to my new Nikon D5000 and my dirty 315 yen mirror.

Today, I was supposed to recive this cutie directly in my post, but the website I ordered it from denied the order, because of my foreign credit card. God bless Japan. I was really upset, especially since they canceled the order yesterday night. I decided I'd get my new camera today, no matter what, and I headed to Bic Camer. They saved my day. I paid almost the same price I'd pay online (and got a five year insurance for the baby), plus the tiny Nikoman presented me with a kick-ass camera bag. I treated myself with a delicious Salmon and Shrimp salad afterwards. Well done, Alice. Words can't describe how hyper I am right now. I just have to figure out how to take decent pictures.

I love love soda. Actually Guava Nectar is not soda, but who cares?

Rainy day.

2010-03-25T00:05:00.000+09:00

Had to go to Uni to have some paperwork done, then headed to Harajuku for some thrift shopping. Nice finds. Deep-fried pork at night killed me.

Exciting Lemon Tea is the new Caffeine / Unflattering yet cozy

Mr Okuma standing still/ Hanjiro Harajuku

Waiting at Kinji Cafe / Best Lemonade in Tokyo

Outfit: Jacket/Zara Sweater/H&M Denim/Cheap Monday Boots/Esperanza Bag/Maison Gilfy Scarf/Supermarket (Korea)

Shinmai Creator's Project 2010

2010-03-23T15:30:00.000+09:00

Tokyo Fashion offered a coverage of a Shinmai Creator's Project, featuring four young brands, a kick-off for Japan Fashion Week. Shinmai (新米) is the Japanese word for "new rice". Rice has a great importance in Japanese culture, and the harvest of fresh rice is a greatly awaited moment in Japan.

The Individualist A/W 2010-11

via Tokyofashion

Soft collars, loose scarves and fitted blazers for men, shorts and leggings for lost Cinderellas.

Fabiola Arias A/W 2010-11

via Tokyofashion

Plum lips, impressive headpieces and feathery fabrics for a bon-ton girl with a crush on Chanel.

A Degree Fahrenheit A/W 2010-11

via Tokyofashion

Urban warriors in black, metropolitan heroines in red tights. Monks-alike capes, and a re-styled trench becomes a sexy leotard/monokini.

Akane Utsunomiya A/W 2010-11

via Tokyofashion

Calm tones and nudy colors for a lazy Autumn, although some neon pieces are still showing under the one-pieces. A reminescence of a Summer that has yet to come.

Donwn the Rabbit-Hole

2010-03-23T00:07:00.000+09:00

Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, `and what is the use of a book,' thought Alice `without pictures or conversation?'

L.C.

A little conversation, and many pictures is what Alice is aiming for. Let her guide you through her personal Wonderland, and the odd aesthetic sense of this material girl lost in a material World will do the rest. Please accept this invitation to her Mad Tea-Party. Bring some sun glasses, just in case.