my playlist: chill pill

TGIF.
start your weekend right & listen below.
enjoy!

bewitching 'Beautiful Creatures'

all comic geeks, sci-fi lovers, & toy nerds alike attended the New York Comic Con over the weekend, the biggest pop culutre convention in the east coast. I was lucky enough to go on Saturday to experience the spectacle of everyone, young and old, dressed in their favorite comic/anime/cartoon/fiction characters, parading through the aisles of video game & fantasy film glory. (if you need halloween costume inspiration, I suggest checking out the comic con steez from the weekend here or here)

the upcoming fantasy film, Beautiful Creatures held a press conference that I got to attend. the film is based on the young adult novel, which is in fact part of a series (may this be the next "Twilight"?) written by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. in short, the plot centers on this supernatural love story between Ethan & Lena, a mysterious new girl who happens to be some type of witch. they uncover dark, hidden secrets about her family & future as a "caster" while also trying to survive this "Romeo & Juliet" type relationship in their small, southern town.

the conference featured the director, Richard LaGravenese (an Oscar nom) and some cast members: Emmy Rossum who plays Ridley, a badass (as she described) "dark caster", Alden Ehrenreich who is the film's leading male protagonist (Ethan Asher), his best friend played by Thomas Mann, and Zoey Deutch who plays Ethan's angry ex-girlfriend - quite the 'spell' for a love triangle!

Thomas Mann, Richard LaGravenese, Alden Ehrenreich, Zoey Deutch, Emmy Rossum

during the intimate gathering, the cast talked about how they prepared for their roles (developing the southern twang & such), the process of adapting a mythological novel to the big screen, etc. (the entire panel can be seen & heard via youtube, part 1 & 2)

what I found interesting was Emmy's character, Ridley which she calls a "vicious goddess" but in the best way possible - Rossum described her character as a "badass, dark, heroin, witch," who also embodies elegance, class, and chicness. the film took this character to a whole new level with the costumes.

with LaGravenese's inspiration from 1930s-70s films and culture, Ridley was given multiple personas that reflect each time period just by her wardrobe; from Rita Hayworth to Doris Day, Ridley can embody practically any look of a film icon (perhaps even becoming one herself?)

below are some screenshots I took of the Beautiful Creatures "casters," all dressed intricately and seemingly from a completely different era:

 

My Fair Lady meets The Fifth Element? kind of loving it.

to see more bewitching costumes and learn more about "Beautiful Creatures," watch the featurette here and the official trailer here

'beautiful creatures' opens february 13, 2013

eye for an eye

today is World Sight Day and TOMS created a new eyewear line that gives sight to those that need it; same idea as the "one for one" shoes, but this new program gives in exchange either a pair of prescription glasses, sight-saving surgery, or medical treatment with the purchase of TOMS sunglasses.

each of the sunnies have a unique TOMS feel to them, with markings of stripes along the stems (each represent something about giving - one stripe represents you, the middle TOMS, and the edge is the person in need), and not to mention are very chic. here are some of my favorite pairs from their collection:

the Maverick in gold . the Marisol in tortoise . the Lobama (can't help but think of Barack and Michelle with this pair haha!) . the Deoria in crystal sea foam

the TOMS website for World Sight Day is educational and interactive, giving us a 'look' at what it's like to see through different sight illnesses & the chance to print out and design our own eye charts. below is a chart made by DJ SoSuperSam, via her tumblr:

to design your own, click here and share your work of art with the hashtag #GIVEsight
to learn more about TOMS eyewear and World Sight day, visit this website

b-comfort, b-green, b-Burnetie

you must know this feeling: to walk for miles and miles, minutes beyond minutes (even hours), having your legs turn to jello and your feet give up because the shoes binding your feet are just too uncomfortable. 

walking is something almost unavoidable in New York City and you need to be able to survive on your feet the entire day, tourist or not. if you've never experienced the pain that completely exasperates your feet after a long day of walking, I am envious of you. I can only assume that 1) you have hooves that can mold to any shoe you put on, or 2) you only & always wear Burnetie shoes.

I got my first pair of Burnetie high tops last week and couldn't wait to wear them. with some friends in town visiting from SF, I thought a day playing tourist with them would be perfect to break in my new kicks. to my surprise, they needed no breaking in whatsoever.

just as a disclaimer: my feet are quite delicate. it's not uncommon for me to get blisters and soreness within just a couple hours of wearing shoes (don't even get me started with high heels..."beauty is pain" is an understatement). within a few steps in my new Burnetie's, I already felt like I was walking on clouds. kind of unbelievable, considering the last few pairs of shoes I bought have been a pain to wear - what a relief.

for starters, the fit was perfect. I'm usually a 6½-7 so I ordered the size 7 Burnetie. I had just the right amount of room and was a solid width for my feet. once I slipped on the high tops, it was like a natural feeling that my feet belonged in them. like the "glass slipper" if you may. not to mention, the zipper on the side makes it so easy to slip on & is SO convenient for days when you have to rush out the house! (aka everyday for me)

but in order to pass the comfort test, I had to take these pink high tops (the color btw is uber cute) out on the town. a full day of walking in NYC. now if you've ever walked more than 3 hours straight in the city, just trust me when I say you are guaranteed at least two blisters and an ice bath for your feet once you get home (if you ever make it home). believe it or not, I needed no such pain relief for my feet after a day in Burnetie's.

I made my way around the East Village, to Williamsburg via metro, gallivanting for God knows how long, to the Brooklyn Bridge, walking the entire thing to Manhattan. it was such an easy stroll along the bridge, I could've gone back and forth in my shoes, they were that comfortable. plus the view was incredible.

my day didn't end at the other side of the bridge. while my friends were already feeling exhaustion after the BK mile walk, I was the opposite. I was thoroughly surprised by my feet's stamina. of course, the only difference was that I was wearing Burnetie's.
a brisk walk to City Hall for the train led us to Chelsea for some pizza at Grimaldi's. perfect meal to equal out those calories burned throughout the day, am I right? story short, I literally walked for 3 hours straight in these shoes and I didn't complain, stop to sit down, readjust the lacing, air out, massage, or attempt to cut off my feet once. I'm officially a fan.

as a plus, ALL Burnetie shoes are made with zero waste & it's the only brand that utilizes vulcanized rubber to make completely new shoes [watch a video about it here]

not many manufacturing companies are eco-friendly, so I'm thrilled to have found a sneaker line whose mission is to reduce the amount of chemical products and toxic waste in the environment [read more here]

it most definitely is possible to be stylish, comfortable, and green all at the same time!

there's a ton of styles to choose from, for both men and women; you can find multiple colors, patterns, high tops to slip ons & they're all made with natural or recycled rubber.
I can't forget to add among being a great alternative shoe, Burnetie's are totally budget-friendly. the shoes range from just $20-100 & in this economy? not bad at all! 

here are some looks I created on polyvore, for other ways to wear these chic Burnetie pink high tops:

for a girly girl on a casual day

AX Paris owl dress, $29 / Green lapel vest / A|Wear lace handbag, $32 / ASOS engraved ring / Crystal stud earrings / Alexander Wang round sunglasses / Waist belt / High Top Vintage

perfect fall day outfit

Pull&Bear pull bear, $29 / Alice + Olivia leather shorts, $600 / Socks / Cross body handbag / Miso feather earrings, $11 / Triangle ring / 2b fedora hat / Burberry / High Top Vintage


want to see more?

shop the entire Burnetie collection here

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heeeeeyyy, sexy lady!

this morning I found a funny little teaser vid (above) in my inbox of the supposed collaboration between designer Jill Stuart & South Korean rapper, Psy (who if you don't know, flooded the internet and dance floors of the world with his 'Gangnam Style' hit)
"what's the big deal?" you ask? for starters, the song is #1 in basically 20 countries. this is huge for an international pop star that raps in a language that isn't english. and now he's got everyone singing along with him. to add, 'gangnam style' is the most watched youtube video EVER, wrangling over 200 million views in 3 months. ridiculous. Psy is the cherry on top of this delicious recipe for success. he has his own wicked sense of style and is the antithesis of a "hot" male music artist...well, a hot male. which is what makes Psy even more lovable - not to mention his impeccable dance moves, which are very uncommon to find in a man these days (am I right, ladies?)

Psy performing live on the Today Show

that said, he definitely caught the attention of Jill Stuart. seemingly an unlikely match made in fashion heaven, I think the duo fits perfectly & here's why: it's all in the definition of gangnam style
loosely translated, the song is about guy trying to find a girl that epitomizes the upscale, trendy Gangnam district in Seoul (think NY's meatpacking district but way cooler). there's a verse in the song that goes like this: "A lady who looks conservative, but knows when to play hard, a lady who knows when to let her hair down, a lady who seems fragile, but sexy at the same time." THAT'S a Gangnam style chick. & coincidentally, also a Jill Stuart kind of chick.
Jill's designs are ultra sophisticated & extremely sexy at the same time. she has the essence of the girl next door & the life of the party. I mean, picture Cher Horowitz in 'Clueless' (Stuart did design for the film after all). she embodies all the qualities of Psy's ideal Gangnam style girl.
I'm so looking forward to what the iconic designer & soon-to-be legendary korean rapper come up with.
sources: la times, mbfashionweek

off the runway

leandra medine, commonly known as "the man repeller," wore this t-shirt last week (the text reading: all blogs post the same stuff)

in my hopes of being "different" and separating my blog from others (which essentially is the point of having a blog, to showcase yourself, correct?) I will not post traditional runway photos from NYFW but instead, share these brilliant snaps New York Magazine shot during.

these are a reflection of what we don't normally get to see when scrolling through each show at style.com, trying to find which Spring '13 outfits we liked best. while it's all about being in the know of the upcoming trends, it's also great to get a perspective of the present. what is inspiring people right now, and who is currently relevant? why do we care so much and why are we drawn to certain images?

this collection of photos hopefully gives you all a good aspect of what I'm trying to get at...

see more of the 50 Best Images from NYFW @ the cut

do the creep

no, I'm not talking about The Lonely Boys' SNL skit, "the creep," with nicki minaj...

rather, in fashion terms the creeper shoes are what I'm referring to (though it's very possible to do snl's "creep" dance while wearing creepers)

thanks to the late 1940s - 1950s teddy boys, us fashionistas can strut around the streets in these rebellious-looking, yet upmost trendy shoes. of course, they're nothing new (designer Nathan Jenden even featured them in his 2007 runway collection) but like all fashion, each trend seems to relive itself more than once. so here we are again & creeper shoes are back.

I was inspired by Oyster Mag's article on 'top 10 creepers' to blog about these iconic shoes & compile some of my favorite designs:

underground 'camaro' $170, sold at asos

BANK fashion 'bronx' $120

topshop 'underground $250

AX paris 'brogue' $50

jeffrey campbell 'kipper' $84, sold at solestruck

UNIF 'grim' $196

what is your favorite creeper style? or do you even dig it? tell me in the comments.

outside lands 2012

God, I love music festivals.
can't emphasize that enough.

I'm so beyond belief happy that I attended this year's Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival last weekend. I already miss being in the chilly san francisco atmosphere of golden gate park, frolicking in the dirt and grass without a care in the world...just to listen to good music and be around great people.

really no words to describe how perfect our first day at OL was. the crowds were definitely scarce compared to the next two days, which I liked. our first band was tanlines and they sounded great live! even better than on record. we trekked over to the sutro stage to see reggie watts who triples as a beatboxer, rapper, and stand up comedian. by far the most interesting 45 minutes of my life at OL. there's much to explore at this festival, including the heineken dome which we checked out for a little bit to get some fist pumping in. yacht was our next stop, followed by die antwoord who easily became one of my favorite new acts. in between dancing like a crazy person at the twin peaks stage, we mellowed down to tennis. who put on one of the greatest live shows. her voice is just so magical. but you know who else's is? dave grohl. foo fighters was so sick, I loved feeling like I was in the '90s again. we ended the night with electronica at mstrkrft and the incredible justice (my #1 highlight of the weekend for sure & that was so unexpected). again, no words. I'm pretty sure I was almost completely sober during both acts but felt such a high, like I was one with the music. I think I danced the most I physically could that entire day, it was just perfect! also, the response to our King Joffrey stick was another success. so glad I made it!

after getting a solid 5 hour sleep friday night, it was time to prep for day two. so many great acts, yet we didn't get to the park until after 5:30. I was disappointed that we missed geographer, who would've been fantastic....but thankfully, we made it in time for the kills who I've been dying to see since college. allison mosshart is so badass! next up was norah jones who really is my idol. I've wanted to emulate her voice since high school, try as I may. her rendition of "don't know why" was so beautiful. got to catch passion pit for a hot second - literally! got there in time for "the reeling" & met up the other half of our group to see sigur ros. again, talk about magical. I was in such a daze within the first 15 minutes of their set. all the instruments and his voice were just drowning me in the utmost trance. was so relaxing to just sit on the grass and enjoy each other's company while listening to such beautiful music, even if we don't understand a single word of what they're singing! the icelandic language makes for amazing tunes. we took a bit of a 180 degree turn and decided to head over to metallica for some head banging and heavy metal rock n roll. it was serendipitous walking into the polo fields, with the fog rolling in, lights beaming through the trees, as "enter the sandman" played from a distance. how perfect was that? thus ended our short day at the park.

*le sigh* just thinking about how we closed our epic weekend at OL makes me sad. made sure to get an early start even if it meant roaming the grounds by myself...which is exactly what happened for the first couple hours! after brunch with non-OL attendees, I got to the park alone and watched big gigantic. SUCH an awesome duo! had fun dancing around the crowds, somehow finding my way to franz ferdinand where I met up with my friend. hopped back over to the panhandle stage only to bump into some more friends & get introduced to electric guest, who were incredible. next up was santigold who I've been dying to see ever since coachella live streamed her show last april. loved her energy. bloc party was a perfect follow-up, after bomba estereo for a hot minute. SO much international talent we got to witness! sunday was the ultimate festival close-out, as everyone knew it was "stevie wonder night." but for our group, we took the alternate route, without any regrets. we were in the mood to be flat out ratchet. and where better to act a fool than at wolfgang gartner & skrillex? I can't even begin to describe the energy bursting through the crowd. I'm sure the same was happening over at Stevie, but we wanted to be loud & obnoxious, and soak up in all edm goodness. it was such a great closing night, and skrill took me by complete surprise.

get in line, and settle down

{belated} music monday: no doubt

this may be is old news but FINALLY, No Doubt is back!

ever since they had a reunion tour in 2009 (that I sadly missed) I didn't think the opportunity to see them live would come again. but now with the release of their new single "settle down," and the anticipation of a new album...I am so ecstatic to get another chance to see them in concert!

Tragic Kingdom was my first cd album ever so the band holds a very close spot in my heart. it was my introduction to ska and rock music, and I was hooked. my life in high school was surrounded by alt rock and it was thanks to No Doubt. (I had a major crush on Tony Kanal...still kind of do) plus, having Gwen Stefani as a lead singer is just the cherry on top of having a perfect band. her unprecedented style and quirky cool persona is so addicting. she is definitely one of my ultimate style icons, influencing me so much in my teenage years til now.

here's a look at some of Gwen's and the rest of No Doubt's fashcapades (fashion escapades...lame, I know) because she's not the only important person in creating the band's image/style.

images via google

here's the music video for their latest single

look into my eyes

in the past month, I've frequented the eye doctor after having this reoccurring redness in my right eye. it turns out that my overuse of contact lenses lead to an inflammation in both eyes, plus a bacterial infection of some sort. no bueno.

I don't remember when I started using contacts, but I do remember vividly in high school my obsession with colored contact lenses. I'd switch between turquoise and grey lenses, regaling in the fact that I could confuse people with my race just by changing the color of my eyes.

perhaps this contributed to my identity crisis growing up into my almost-adulthood, never remembering the real color of my eyes unless I wore glasses (which was a public rarity, and still is). one of my friends here gave me a nickname after my "green eyes" but once I switch back to clear contacts it will no longer have purpose. 

I've built this identity surrounding my unique, yet fake, eye color. I can't tell you how many times a guy has approached me just because he thinks my eyes are beautiful. "sorry to break it to you, but they're contacts." what. a. boner. kill.

now that I'm almost 24, I think it's time for me to move on and out with the fake eyes. my doctor told me that a majority of people with eye problems are usually those that wear colored lenses. they're thicker, which prevents more oxygen from hitting your eyes. hence, the inflammation and redness I've experienced. I'm down to my last few pairs of turquoise lenses and after that, I'll be done & ready to move on. part of being comfortable with yourself if accepting the fact that you were not born with blue or hazel or violet eyes, whatever it may be. this leads to why I'm writing this post. 

I came across this Korean website called Candy Lens, where you can buy literally any type of colored contact you can think of, even designs! every anime lovers' dream, pretty much. (that's not meant to be stereotypical...in my defense there's a whole section of the website dedicated to anime contact lenses)

there are literally hundreds of these lenses, ranging in all colors of the spectrum. but why the frenzy? and specifically, in Asian cultures?

typically, Asians have either brown or black eyes. having the option of colored lenses is a way of extending our personal style, in addition to begin separated from the rest. but I feel that aside from personal feelings on wearing colored contacts, the fact that yes, they are fun to wear and are less boring than flaunting your own pair of brown/black eyes, there is some kind of cultural dilemma Asians face in regard to changing their eye color.

in college, I tackled this issue of upper eyelid surgery, aka blepharoplasty, for asians in a sociology class. this concept of "whiteness" as a heralded race in Asian cultures is bothersome, especially when many Asian men and women undergo surgeries like this to enlarge their eyes, essentially. this is of course, a further step than simply getting colored contacts to look presumably less Asian.

what do you all think? are there ethical issues to wearing colored lenses, or is it just for sheer pleasure?

for me, there's always an underlying reason why we dress the way we dress, how we want society to see us. it wasn't my intention to get all psychoanalytical about my contacts, but it's an issue I, myself have to grapple with.

as for the future of my eyes, I'd like to experiment with clear lenses and rediscover who I am and what I was born with.

livin in a barbie world

what happens when you mix fashion week and a girl's most loved toy together? the answer is Barbie's Dream Closet, a special pop-up exhibit at the Lincoln Center Atrium right across the street from the tents.

I went yesterday with my childhood friend, which was only appropriate! even if I'm family-less in NYC, I still have friends here that I've known for ages and that's the closest family I have here.

the "closet" is the definition of pink madness. we had no idea what to expect, but it's safe to say that we left Barbz closet satisfied - playing with the interactive wardrobe feature (which I chose not to partake in...though it was tempting) and admiring some stylishly dressed life-size dolls. definitely felt like a kid again :)

the year of the dragon

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

hope everyone had a fantastic NYE. mine was spent at home due to my inability to walk straight (I sprained my foot last thursday at avicii...which was bomb but the slippery sidewalks of san fran are the total opposite. so careless.)

2011 was a great year. so much happened. most were great, memorable, life-changing.

I'm looking forward to this new year. especially since it's my year: the dragon

here's what's awesome about this chinese astrological year:

Other years might seem to drag on, but the Year of the Dragon has the potential to breathe life-shaping fire, to be magical, even mythical. Keep one eye on the calendar and the other on the stars.

I'm ready to kill it in 2012

but before I do that, I want to remember all the good that's happened in 2011, so here's a look back at my year!

I began and ended the year with my favorite cousins/friends. funny how that worked out didn't it?

cheers