So basically I haven't updated my blog!!! Just started work which pretty much occupies most of my time. Do I miss this space? Hell yeah!

Scenes While on Transit

How do you make an "IMPACT"?

Books on art and fashion are just some of the things that i like to splurge on. But I do have a few considerations though: 1. If the book interests me (guess that applies to anyone)and 2. IF I COULD AFFORD IT! (guess this also applies to anyone as well.) The books that I managed to collect through the years had provided constant sources of inspiration to me. Well if money is not an object, there are still a number of books that I want to have. HELLO McQueen's "Savage Beauty"! ^_^ More recently though, I managed to buy a copy of "IMPACT: 50 Years of The Council of Fashion Designers of America".

I had a hard time deciding whether I'd buy it or not but for a cheap price (waaaaaay cheaper than the regular price!) who can resist right? Published by Abrams, the book, as the title suggests, chronicles the contribution of American designers on fashion in general. Apart from that, the book also gives a background on the birth of CFDA. How fitting with the title is that 50 American fashion designers were asked what they think is their impact on fashion. Some of the designers included were:

Norma Kamali and a photo of one of her "parachute dresses" as well as Vera Wang with this couture concoction!

The cover even has these photos! (Rodarte for Swarovski Elements and a photo by Clifford Coffin!)

Flipping through the pages is a feast for the senses and like reciting a litany of saints! I would have taken more photos but the book is just heavy! The book even has entries on designers I've only heard of recently like Robert Comstock, Monika Tilley, Bill Haire, Ulrich Grimm (shoe designer) and a lot more. I only wish that they have included photos for most of the designers. (Thanks to google for helping me familiarize myself with most of them. LOL!) I also wish that they have entries on designers like...

Rebecca Moses.

The Brother/Sister tandem of BesBen!

and Thakoon Panichgul. Overall, the book is a good buy, informative and a great source of inspiration for designers and fashion fans alike. (Information on the book and on CFDA can be found here!)

Some DIY Stuff

I managed to find this beautiful fabric and I knew that I HAVE to make something out of it!

And so I made a bag!

I also have a couple of plain bangles which I decided to decorate. Well, as Andy Warhol provides constant source of inspiration to me, I used his screen test shots as reference.

And came up with this!

So what keeps you inspired and creative? :)

And Now...a Film!

"The Impossible" first came to my attention while watching an interview on TV.

The movie,directed by Juan Antonio Bayona (below), chronicles the experience of one family while on vacation in Thailand during the Christmas of 2004.

Ewan McGregor plays Henry Benet, the husband.

Everything seems to be fine. I mean, holiday in paradise. What could possibly go wrong right?

And then the unthinkable happened.

Apparently the family was in Thailand when one of the worst disasters that hit in recent times occurred killing thousands of people.

Due to the tragedy the family got separated. Here's Naomi Watts, who played Maria, with her son Lucas, played by Tom Holland, seeking temporary refuge on a piece of debris.

Along the way they found a missing boy named Daniel and met a couple of locals who helped them recover.

As the movie progresses, it is revealed that the rest of the family survived the tragedy as well and they were reunited towards the end of the film.

Although it maybe difficult to know if some of the details in the film are true or not (like the little boy Daniel), we can be certain that there's the Belons whose story was the basis for the film. According to sources, Maria Belon (pictured with her husband Enrique) is a Spanish doctor living in Japan at the time of the tragedy.

Here's Maria Belon with her son Tomas and her family at the movie premiere with Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor(below).

Since its a disaster film and based on real life events, the director and his team did a wonderful job of making things as accurate as possible. From the "tsunami"...

To the underwater shots....

To the make-up artists/ hair dressers who in my opinion should have been nominated for an Oscar. (Well, thank God Naomi Watts got a nomination who's delivery of her performance is more seen in her emotions.)

Especially the ones who managed to conceal Ewan's huge tattoo!

I also think actor Tom Holland, who's a revelation in the film and is pretty much in every scene, should've been nominated. I mean, c'mon Academy why limit this film to just one nomination?

As a whole, "The Impossible" is one of those films that depicts the triumph of the human soul and the desire to overcome life's adversities. As the poster for the film says: "Nothing is more powerful than the human spirit." :)

Japan is Design!

A lot has been said about Japanese design and aesthetic which could range from minimal to "kawaii" (Japanese for "cute"). During my visit in Japan I managed to experience (and enjoy) various design forms available.

"Hachiko Overload"! A relief somewhere in Shibuya.

He's even seen on the streets.

A display window in Shibuya.

Outside Bunka.

The sakura which is the national symbol of Japan.

The old clock tower which is the symbol for Ginza.

I so love these prints!

And the works of Japanese artist Junichi Nakahara!

Art is even present on roofing as seen in this temple.

Now, don't you agree? ^_^