STEPHEN JONES, Grow some bones

At the Bard Graduate Center on 86th Street, there is a magic show on display. The magician's name? Stephen Jones. The tricks he has to show, his hats.

Stephen Jones is one of the most prolific milliners in the world. He has created hats for catwalks of designers like Christian Dior, John Galliano, Marc Jacobs, Vivienne Westwood, Giles Deacon, Comme Des Garcons, Donna Karan, and L'Wren Scott. His hats cross the line of insanity into pure madness with the structure and extravagant characters that the hats take on.

But let's be honest, it's not all about Mr. Jones. This exhibition is a celebration of hats, from the traditional kinds that shaped a specific culture, to theatrical creations, whimsical ones, and the classics.

Let's celebrate the anthology of hats, from where they came from, to where they were, where they are now, and to where they will become!

THE MAN HIMSELF, MR.JONES

I was not breathing the whole time I was at the exhibit. This is the highest I have ever been.whoo (sorry Chris for the inappropriateness, I have to exaggerate)

A Day in the Death

For one of my elective classes, I am taking 'Skin Off Your Face' Horror Film class.

KR-KR-KRAZZZYYYYYYYYYYYY

My teacher is so cool. She is a little on the weird side but that is expected.

We talk about so many strange topics like the horror film sub-genre "rape-revenge," lesbian vampirism, the feminine-horror.

We watched some notable horror films like

(SCREAMING GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM!!!)

This week, we talked about 'lesbian-vampirism.' hehee..interesting topic?

why of course it is.

Countess Elizabeth Bathory de Ecsed-the most famous and deadliest female serial killer in history. She had over 650 victims, mainly young girls from local peasants. She apparently bathed in her victims' blood to retain her youth.

The Hunger(1983)

The movie has Susan Sarandon, David Bowie, and Catherine Deneuve. Its about vampires and sucking blood, the victims not aging, and an awesome opening scene in a nightclub that looks like a 90s music video.

My past two reflective journals have been inspired by topics discussed in my horror film class. The "fear" and "romanticism" themes were taken from small clips of various Dracula movies we watched in my film class. Without this class, no inspiration (joking, my love is not that extreme) I definitely believe this class helps me be inspired.

Brooklyn Museum

This past Friday, I went to the Brooklyn Museum. I had to go see an exhibit for my costume history class. It was my first time there and I absolutely loved it. It does not have the grandiose quality of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) but it is just as great. There is an intimate mood to viewing the art displayed at the Brooklyn Museum. Also, it is quiet and peaceful.

On the ground floor of the museum, there were these massive translucent lanterns made of some fabric. I just felt completely small in comparison to these giants. These "lanterns" were part of a special Latin American exhibit celebrating individuals of Latin America.

It was so beautiful. I did get a little teary because of the whole mood of the massive clothed lanterns and sensitive humanity of each photograph.

I ventured a little more around the same floor and stumbled upon tribal Latin American and African artwork. Let me just say,

WHO--------AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I do not know how to exactly put it into words. There is attention to subtle details in the art of native Latin America. Even the small figures have so much power in their static movement.

UGHH! the style of that dress, with the combination of two complex patterns that are put together and look smooth still. AHH! I CANT TAKE IT! THERE IS SO MUCH IN THESE INTRICATE ART PIECES! ahh!! MENTAL HIGH! :)

These African head pieces are............ (I apologize, I have actually gone *mute)

(These masks are hard and heavy with all these crazy surface designs. forget the shape. LOOK AT ALL THAT BEADING AND BUTTONS! i mean!ah!! that precision and carefulness for the evenness of space!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

I am sorry, but STEPHEN jones and all you high-end millinery people got nothing in comparison with these tribual head pieces.. I am sorry, I have to say the TRUTH!

This visit was indulgent and so breath-taking with the massive lanterns and small beading of beautiful hand-crafted head pieces.

Rei, PLEASE!

There are not enough words in the English language (possibly in the French and most likely in the Japanese) to describe the genius and rebellion Ms. Kawakubo to the world of fashion.


















Kawakubo constantly attacks the conventional idea of beauty. Her shocking interpretations influenced a new wave of fashion-"deconstructionism." In the 1980s, she introduced "black" as the new color, contrasting from the bright, eccentric colors of the decadent decade.






















Her infamous 1997 "Dress meets Body, Body meets dress" collection. This collection was notable for its questioning of the female form with putting lumps and bumps in areas where there wouldn't normally be. It was apparently inspired by her frustration at seeing a Gap window filled with banal black clothes.






I love her for her innovative silhouettes, styling, basically in the most conventional terms, "bizarre" clothes.


Personally, Comme Des Garcons has created a space for me to comfortable and find my own voice in fashion. I could not identify more than with Rei's aesthetic and styling of clothes. I guess that is why much of my fashion choices or ideas are opposite of many people. It is definitely harder to relate to other people or share common fashion interests.




***I am going to be absolutely HONEST, I do not think this blog has the capacity to contain all the images of COMME DES GARCONS that I want to post. This is actually very difficult for me to do (hehehe....)






"If I do something I think is new, it will be misunderstood, but if people like it, I will be disappointed because I haven’t pushed them enough. The more people hate it, maybe the newer it is. Because the fundamental human problem is that people are afraid of change."
-Rei Kawakubo