The Autumn Song

I wore my blazer out today for the first time, signing that fall is finally approaching Tokyo after an incredibly hot summer.

東京ではやっと気温が下がり、私は今期初めて、ブレザーを下ろしました。ようやく秋が訪れそうですね。

It's almost October I know, but summer brought some great experiences and memories (an internship, hearing Yohji Yamamoto speak in person (!), meeting totally unexpected and incredible people...) so I'm a little sad that the seasons are really starting to change.

もう１０月だけど、夏の終わりはやっぱり寂しい。特に今年の夏は充実していたからこそ、そう思うのかな。

A piece of my summer, girls preparing for the Yosakoi (a traditional Japanese Dance) Festival in Omotesando

I've been unable to post regularly for quite a while now and I'm afraid this will continue through the rest of the year. I was just looking at my favorite blogs and realized how much I miss blogging and how there's lots of things I want to post and share. But right now there is so much on plate, so many things I have to do before blogging. So this is a temporary farewell from blogging, until I get through what would probably be one roller coaster of a ride of the last three months of 2010. Hopefully I'll be able to look at your blogs every once in a while, but till then, see you guys in 2011!

最近はなかなか、ブログの記事を書く時間がなくて...時間は自分で作るもの、なんて本当に出来ればいいけど、夏休み以上に忙しくなりそうな今年の秋、いったんブログを離れようと思います。書きたいこと、載せたいことはいっぱいあるけど、きりがないのでここで一つ区切りをつけます。これからJFWも始まるので尚更残念だけど、次までには復帰したいな。

LUPOPO & OHANA

I stumbled upon these two lovely cafes a while ago, on the same day. It totally made my day: good food, lovely owners, and a cozy atmosphere.

久しぶりにカフェを紹介します。たまたま見つけた、三軒茶屋のほっこりカフェ。偶然にこういうところを見つけると幸せな気分になりますよね。

The first is called LUPOPO. In the small but cozy space, a corner is for displaying and selling handmade goods like jewelry and bags.

一つ目はLUPOPO。小さな店内に、カフェスペースと手作りのアクセサリーなどが売っています。

There was this notebook where customers left messages. It was filled with lovely illustrations...
お客様書き込み用のノート。人の字を見るのって、面白い。こんな字書けたらなー、とかあの字も素敵だな、と。

The next store, from Earth Cafe "OHANA", was an organic cafe with a great variety of teas. Surprisingly I'm finding a lot of organic cafes around Tokyo.
次はfrom Earth Cafe "OHANA"というオーガニック系のカフェ。東京って意外とオーガニックのお店が多いんですね。

These pound cakes were so good but also tasted healthy. I love how even the little dishes like the forks matches the store perfectly.

美味しく、かつヘルシーなパウンドケーキ。とてもあたたかい雰囲気のお店でした。

LUPOPO

1-35-20 Sangenjyaya, Setagayaku, Tokyo

東京都世田谷区三軒茶屋１−３５−２０

from Earth Cafe "OHANA"

1-32-6 Sangenjyaya, Setagayaku, Tokyo

東京都世田谷区三軒茶屋１−３２−６

The World of Yoko Sueyoshi

When I stopped by a store called Loft a couple months ago, there was an art event going on called Pop Box. It's an annual event where each artist has a small box (=booth) to display his/her artworks inside the store. I was especially captivated by one of the boxes...

毎年ロフトで開催されているアートのイベント、ポップボックス。たまたま寄ったときに開催されていて、思わず立ち止まったボックス。

The artist's name is Yoko Sueyoshi. I am in love with the world she creates and am enchanted by the boys and girls that appear inside her artwork. The children in these pictures aren't just innocent; I feel like there's a lot hidden inside their expressions. Wouldn't you love to slip into this world? The scenery is breathtaking.

彼女の名前は末吉陽子さん。末吉さんの世界観がすごく好きで、こんなところに住んでみたいと思った。純粋だけどどこか不思議な表情をしている男の子と女の子たち。お話してみたくなります。

I had the chance to see her at a live painting and it was incredible to see her works come to life. She was a lovely person, just like her artwork.

ライブペイントを見る機会があったんですが、とにかく見とれてしまいました。終わったあとには葉書にサインをしてくださって、とても素敵な方でした！

For more of her artwork, here's the website (go look at more lovely drawings!) and she has an exhibit, POP SPACE (which I think is similar to Pop Box) going on right now. Details are below, those who are in Tokyo should definitely go have a look!

末吉さんのサイトにもっと絵が載っています。そして今POP SPACEで展示が開催されています！詳細も載せておくので、東京にいる方、とてもおすすめします!!

POP SPACE part 2

Shinjuku Marui One (Department Store) 3F

3-1-20 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

TEL: 03-3354-0105

Hours: 11:00-21:00, Holidays and Weekends 11:00-20:30

Exhibit: ~8/20

POP SPACE part 2

新宿マルイワン

東京都新宿区新宿３−１−２０

TEL: 03-3354-0105

開館時間：11:00-21:00, 日曜・祝日 11:00-20:30

展示： ~8/20

All images courtesy of the artist

after the rain

Photo from a past editorial in SO-EN at the famous Hachiko

During the time away from blogging, shopping, reading magazines, etc. the resort and couture collections have ended and stores are already stocking pre-fall clothes. How time flies...I haven't even found the perfect summer dress yet!

It's finally summer and I'm definitely hoping more blogging and more effortless days. Hope everyone is having a wonderful Friday!

absense

Apologies for the lack of posts and returning comments recently. The sun is shining outside today but I'm stuck inside studying. I'm counting the days until summer, when I can be free...

How is everyone doing? Any summer plans?

Hussein Chalayan from fashion and back

I finally made it to the Hussein Chalayan exhibit! I wrote about the exhibit before it started and it was too bad I couldn't go earlier.

やっと行ってきました。東京都現代美術館で開催されているフセイン・チャラヤン展。いち早くここで紹介していたのですが、見に行くのが終了間際になってしまって残念。

In an interview, Chalayan has stated that he's more like a fashion artist than a fashion designer and I think this exhibit displayed that well. It is definitely not just a retrospective of his past collections, but an installation of his artwork. I was especially surprised by the amount of films on display. Chalayan incorporates so many ideas and topics in his work, and I found it quite difficult to wrap my head around the underlying meaning of his films. Another reason to go to an exhibit as soon as it starts--so that there's time to go again. I wish I could go re-watch the films and try to deepen my understanding. They were very interesting and thought-provoking to say the least.

My favorites were "After Words" (Autumn/Winter 2000) and "Absent Presence" (short film, 2005). I definitely recommend watching the video for "After Words". Chalayan was "inspired by the plight of the refugee and the horror of having to leave one's home suddenly in times of war". I won't go into details here but watching the furniture transformed into clothing and ultimately leaving the room still and lifeless was an extremely powerful image.

Tilda Swinton plays a biologist in "Absent Presence", which "explores the neurosis and paranoia surrounding the issue of terrorism, inspired by the introduction of 'hard line' policies on immigration and the resulting suspicion surrounding foreign individuals". I felt that this was easier to understand than the other films and watching different scenes on five screens at once created an amazing effect. This is an extremely relevant topic to our society today and it makes you wonder if this is the kind of future that awaits us.

自分はファッションデザイナーというより、ファッションアーティストであるとインタビューで語ったチャラヤン。まさにそれを上手く捉えた展示だったな、という印象です。過去のコレクションのアーカイブ、というよりアートインスタレーションって感じですかね。映像作品が多くてびっくりしました。チャラヤンの作品は歴史や科学など、本当に幅広い分野を取り入れて、どの作品も何回でも見たいと思うものばかりでした。見る度に必ず新しい発見がありそうな気がする。

個人的に好きだったのが「アフター・ワーズ」（秋/冬2000）と「不在の存在」（短編映画）。「アフター・ワーズ」は難民の苦境から着想を得たコレクションで、部屋の中の家具が洋服へと変化するところが印象的。最終的に部屋には何もなく、空虚さだけが残る。空っぽになった部屋は静かに、でも強く訴える、パワフルなイメージ。

「不在の存在」は女優のティルダ・スウィントンが出演していましたね。日本も変化していくなか、これからはどういう社会になるのか。この短編映画みたいな日がいつか訪れるのか。色々考えさせられました。

I felt that Chalayan is depicting conflicts and themes that are actually connected strongly to our lives. I could only be amazed at Chalayan's ability to show those conflicts and themes through fashion.

私達の生活や人生にも関っている問題やテーマをファッションで表現しているのかな。複雑な感情、トピックをファッションで表すチャラヤンの作品から衝撃、刺激を受けるばかりでした。

Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo

4-1-1 Miyoshi, Koto-ku, Tokyo

TEL: 03-5245-4111

Hours: 10:00-18:00

Exhibit: ~6/20

東京都現代美術館

江東区三好４−１−１

TEL: 03-5245-4111

開館時間：10:00-18:00

展示：〜6/20

The quotes describing "After Words" and "Absent Presence" is from the official book. Click to read more on what I thought about the official book...

オフィシャル本についての感想は下をクリックしてください。

Mixed Matched Media ✕ Tokyo Identity

One of the things I wish I was good at is art. Going to a museum is one of my favorite things to do and I think art history is fascinating, but I just can't put my thoughts and inspirations in a drawing or painting.

So I was really excited when the talented CC Wai of Mixed Matched Media offered to translate my concept and ideas into a drawing for my blog! If you haven't seen her blog, definitely go have a look. The Vivienne Westwood and Miu Miu are some of my favorites, I love how she captures each collection perfectly but still adds a touch of her own uniqueness.

美術館に行ったり、美術について学んだり、アートに触れるのは大好きだけど、どうしても自分では何も作り出せない。デッサンとか、粘土とか、最強に苦手です。

そんな私と正反対なCC Waiさんが私のコンセプトを元に絵を書いてくださる、と言ってくれました！CC Waiさんのブログはいつも素敵な絵や写真でいっぱい。特に好きなのは、コレクションからインスパイアされた絵。そのブランドの個性を再現しつつ、CC Waiさんの独特の絵に仕上がっています。

mintdesigns, maothu photos from Fashion Snap

It was hard for me to think of an idea, but I definitely knew I wanted the drawing to be set in Tokyo and for the girl to have a bob. This is a photo I sent to her for reference. I love how time seems to be passing slowly on this street, despite it being right in Tokyo. CC Wai suggested that she refer to some of my past posts for inspiration, and to my surprise, she drew two of my favorite pieces from the mintdesigns and matohu collection!

とりあえず描いて頂く絵は東京の設定、そして絵の中の女の子はボブがいいと思いました。でも久しぶりに絵のアイディアを考えようとすると、意外と難しい...CC Waiさんの提案で私が東京で好きな場所の写真を送ることに。写真は書いてある通り、夕方のキャットストリート。なんだかここに行くと落ち着き、そして色々な意味で思い出深い場所です。

絵の中の女の子は私がブログに載せたものを参考にするとのこと。mintdesignsとmatohuが好きと伝えたのですが、なんと私のお気に入りのルックを描いてくださって、本当に嬉しい！

Isn't it gorgeous? I think she captured the atmosphere of the street perfectly, and the vibrant colors are so beautiful. & I can't get over how stylish the threesome look. I love that all three of the girls have bobs, but how the color and styling fits their personality and outfit. Really cool to see my ideas, combined with CC Wai's, come to life.

A huge thank you to CC Wai for this amazing drawing and a wonderful experience!

これが私のアイディアをベースにCC Waiさんが描いてくださった絵。色の使い方や雰囲気の捉え方、全てにおいて本当に素敵な絵に仕上がっていますよね。女の子たちは全員ボブだけど、髪の色やスタイリングがコーディネートにぴったりで、３人とも個性的。mintdesignsのヘットピースを少し控えめにして、町でもつけられそうになっているところもツボです。

一緒にコンセプトを考えたりするのもすごく楽しかったです。CC Waiさん、本当にありがとうございます！

cotton

Photos found on mixi

Happy Friday everyone! I could not be more happy that the weekend is here and that my tests are finished!

This is Japanese model Rina Ohta for tsumori chisato SLEEP from a while back. Light cotton dresses, big beds, and a house by the beach...makes me wish it was summer already.

Have a wonderful weekend!

結構前のツモリチサトスリープより、太田莉菜さん。今の短い髪も好きだけど、長い髪も女の子っぽくて可愛い。

コットンのドレス、大きいベッド、海辺のお家。早く夏休みにならないかなぁ。

Ghibli Museum in Mitaka

A couple of months ago I went to Ghibli Museum for the first time. I've been meaning to go for the longest time and I finally did. I grew up watching Ghibli films and my friends and I still get totally excited whenever a new film comes out.

ずっと行こうと思っていたジブリ美術館。数ヶ月前やっと行ってきました！

As you can see, the museum is nestled away in the nature, helping create the Ghibli world...

自然の中にそっと潜む、隠れ家みたいな美術館。ジブリの雰囲気にぴったりです。

Photographs aren't allowed inside the museum (and it is so much better to see everything in person, you'll feel like you're in a Ghibli film) so I'm going to show some other parts...

館内では写真が禁止なので、それ以外のものを紹介...

...like the cafe!

...まずはカフェ！

The left is called omu-rice, basically, an omelette with rice inside. The right, a strawberry shortcake. Both very good, not to mention absolutely adorable! All of the food came with a little flag on top and the plates had Ghibli characters on them too. A fun fact: the omu-rice is shaped like a straw hat, like the one Mei wears in Totoro.

麦わらぼうしのオムライスとふぞろいイチゴのショートケーキ。ジブリの映画の中にでできそうな可愛さ。気付きましたか？オムライスがちゃんと麦わらぼうしになっているんです。麦わらぼうしはめいちゃんがかぶってましたね。

Inside the cafe

The courtyard

This is the guardian of the museum, the Robot Soldier on the Rooftop from Laputa Castle in the Sky. You might have recognized the Robot Soldier peering over the entire museum in the first photo.

ロボット兵はここの守り神。一番最初の写真にひっそりと佇んでいるロボット兵に気付きましたでしょうか。

For more information about exhibits and the museum itself, go here. I saw the Ponyo exhibition when I went and it was really interesting to see Hayao Miyazaki's actual sketches. There is also a small, very cute movie theater playing a short film that you can see only at the museum. And just a warning, don't forget to reserve your tickets in advance, they can't be purchased at the museum.

Do you have a favorite Ghibli film? I'd love to know. Mine are Spirited Away and Whisper of the Heart.

Ghibli Museum, Mitaka in Japan

1-1-83 Simorenjaku, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo

Hours: 10:00-18:00 (Closed Tuesdays)

三鷹の森ジブリ美術館

東京都三鷹市下連雀1−1−83（都立井の頭恩賜公園西園内）

開館時間：10:00−18:00（定休日：火曜日）

le cygne

Thank you everyone, for all the comments on the last post! I haven't had time to look at everyone's blogs and write comments because midterms are coming up soon...hopefully I can update with short posts like these. I do have one longer post coming up, but before that, this photo is of a swan choux (cream puff) from CHAYA. It looks so elegant and almost too pretty to eat but it's very very tasty.

Happy Wednesday, hope you're all having a wonderful week!

小さい頃から食べていて、思い出いっぱいの茶屋のスワンシュー。

可愛くて食べるのがもったいない！といつも思うけど美味しくて軽いからペロッと食べてしまう。

♥Miu Miu

I think everyone would love to own something from the Miu Miu Spring/Summer 2010 RTW Collection. But since Miu Miu costs waaay more than I can afford right now, I was thrilled to find this at Zara. I knew Zara had the cat print one but the swallows were my favorite, so this was a great find.

I think I'm going to try the DIY collar like the one Jessica posted here. After reading Hiroko's entry about her Miu Miu collar though, is making me want the actual Miu Miu collar! The shoes and the clothes are completely out of reach but the collars seem a tiny bit more accessible...if I save up for it. Either ways I'm planning to stop by the Miu Miu store in Shibuya just to admire the collection and the lovely store.

春/夏2010のコレクションが大人気のミウミウ。女の子だったら誰でも欲しくなるような可愛い柄の洋服や靴がいっぱいのコレクションですね。ミウミウにはなかなか手が届かないから、やっぱりこういう時はファストファッションに感謝...このそっくりなワンピースはZaraで見つけました。つばめの柄が一番好きで、珍しくサイズもぴったりだったのでラッキー。

多くのブロガーがコレクションでも登場した襟を作ってるらしく、私も挑戦してみるつもり。でもHirokoさんのブログを見てやっぱりミウミウの襟に惹かれています。服や靴は雲の上の存在だけど、頑張ればなんとか襟には手が届きそう...とりあえずお店で実物を見てみたいな。

UJ

UJ billboards were everywhere when they launched. Did you have a chance to see them? Uniqlo ads are so chic now, Tao Okamoto looked so amazing in the UJ campaign. I used to not like Uniqlo jeans because the seam would hit right on my hip bones and it hurt a lot. But imagine my surprise when I went to the store and saw this:

UJが発売された頃は町中がUJの広告だらけでしたね。ユニクロのジーンズは縫い目がちょうど骨にあたるからあまり好きじゃなかったけど、広告のTAOさんがかっこよすぎて、思わず見に行きました。

First of all, wow, the variety. They had chemical wash, colored jeans, everything. I couldn't help trying on a pair and surprisingly, the jeans didn't hurt. The material was really soft and light than the previous jeans and I ended up buying a pair of chemical wash jeans.

まず、この種類の豊富さ！ケミカルワッシュやカラードジーンズ、ベーシックのものから流行りのものまで一通りあります。そして試着してみたら以前より柔らかく、軽くなっていてびっくり。質がいい上に安いので、ケミカルワッシュのを衝動買い。

This is from the UJ catalog. From left, the different shades they have and the different styles. On top of this UJ has a monthly collection, which means new styles are released every month. I remember I sort of wanted J Brand jeans a while ago but now I'd prefer having more styles (inexpensive ones!) than one super expensive pair. What about you guys?

カタログの中身より。UJは毎月新しいスタイルをリリースするそうです。一時期J Brandなど高いジーンズが流行りましたが、ジーンズに関しては安めでたくさんのスタイルを履く方が個人的に好きかな。

my next hairstyle.

Photo from Drop Snap

no, not really, but I love his multicolored hair. The colors are so pretty, perfect for spring! Someday, when I have the guts to do something creative and unusual with my hair...are any of you planning to undergo any major hair changes?

いや、嘘です。でもこの色合いやヘアスタイル全てがかなり好み。髪型を変えるって勇気が必要ですよね。いつか刈り上げとかにしてみたい...今はまだ、勇気がないんですけどね。

BiOcafe

I'm always looking for a new cafe to add to my list of favorites. Recently I went to BiOcafe at Spain-Zaka (a famous street that translates as Spain Hill) in Shibuya.

渋谷中心に常に新しいカフェやレストランを探しているんですが、渋谷って意外とカフェ発掘が難しい気がして...そんななかで最近一番気に入ったスペイン坂のBiOcafeを紹介。実は同じくスペイン坂にあるカフェ/バー人間関係プロデュースのお店。人間関係はよく行くけど、この間初めてBiOcafeに行ってみました。

BiOcafe, as you can probably guess from the name, is a cafe with food that you actually feel good eating. Their food is filled with organic vegetables, soy milk, cereal plant and all the healthy things that include minerals and nutrients that we don't get enough of these days.

Biocafeは“食べてキレイになるカフェレストラン”がコンセプト。どうしても不足してしまうミネラルや栄養素。有機野菜、雑穀、豆乳などでおいしく健康的に食べられるカフェです。

This is what I had when I went to BiOcafe for lunch. I don't remember the exact name, but the tomato soup included beans and little bits of pasta. Topped with fried (but not greasy) fish and the sweetest onion, it was the perfect comfort food. My lunch also came with brown rice, herb tea, and a small desert. The brown rice here is so good, you have to try it!

トマトスープの中にお豆や小さなパスタ、お魚と甘ーい玉葱を添えて。後ろに写っている玄米、本当においしかったです！ご飯は残してしまうことが多い私でも、ペロっと食べてしまいました。その他にハーブティーと小さなデザートがついて確か、950円だったかな。値段も量も満足！

The store is nice and cozy. I have yet to try but the wild yeast bread is supposed to be really good too.

居心地のいい店内。天然酵母のパンもおいしいらしいです。

BiOcafe

16-14 Patio I Udagawa-Cho

Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

11:00-23:00

BiOcafe

渋谷区宇田川町16−14 パティオ I

11:00-23:00