My Animal Print Monday

How to spruce up my Monday gloom? Be crazy and be wild.

Talking about wild, this is the second Monday I went for animal print. Yesterday morning I wore the grey leopard print jumper that I got from Zara. The one that I tried in the previous week. Have to grab one myself. Not just it look like Gucci's and Marc Jacobs', but I like how it fits me. Especially when my upper body has started growing back. :)

The previous Monday, I wore the zebra print sleeveless tee tucked under a black cardigan. Black and white is always my favorite. And the dripping-paint lookalike zebra print look so cool.

Who says only the ladies can wear animal prints? Men can too. You need to be as crazy as I am to wear one. :D

No Name Is Greek?

I have quite a long history with the Greeks. My housemate - Nikolas - is a Greek. Then it was my classmates, my boss, and now even my friends in the office too. So, I pick some of the Greek language here and there. We're talking just simple things like yiasu, kalispera, kalinihta. efharisto... among others. So, milao ligo ala katalaveno - (translation: I understand quite a bit. I hope my Greek is correct, nggg!). I remember asking my housemate a silly question - 'so, you worship Zeus then?' - showing how stupid and ignorance I am that time. And he was like, 'NO, but I will if I'm living in the past!' Lol!!

Talking about fashion, I don't really know that much about Greek designs. (No, we're not talking about the robe that the Greek gods are wearing, silly). Probably because not many are out here in UK. So, when I stumbled upon a store called No Name at Westfield, I was quite surprised to find the clothes are really amazing. From the shirts and pants, cardis to jacket, and the shoes too. Quite worth a look!

The store in Westfield look awesome too; very sombre yet masculine. I love when they use lots of blacks. And mentioning clothes, I like the jumper on the first pix - the double edge black on grey. When I touched the fabric in their store, the material doesn't seem from a cheapo version. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks cool. And the houndstooth tie on the 5th pix. Love it! Their belts and shoes are damn hot too.

Price? Hmm... quite pricey given it a typical highstreet store. It's even on the upper side, ranks among Reiss and COS. Still, their clothes are quite high quality one. Btw, I like the styling in their lookbook though.

Next time: I'll invade their fitting room for sure!

Marc by Marc Jacobs Getting Festive ...But...

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Tis the season to be jolly,

Fa la la la la, la la la la...??

Marc by Marc Jacobs store at Mount St, Mayfair is getting festive too. With Xmas tree with snowflakes, mannequins donning hats and grouped as if singing the carols, and with touch of red and green seen at the window displays, the store is indeed being Christmassy.

But... wait a minute. There's a twist here. Why does the polar bear crying? :( Is it beacuse the icecaps are melting in the Arctic? Climate change? Global warming? Hmmm... that's something to talk about. Btw, it's a great fashion paradox. :)

zaBigFatSnoop: Military at Zara

After my visit to SHOWStudio, I made my way to... the highstreet! Eeek! I know i can't help but to conclude the tour of the day to my favorite stores in Oxford St and Regent St. This time around is just at Zara.

Man, I can't believe that after 2 months I last saw it in their store in Paris, at last the military jacket that I'm lusting for is finally made it on the British Isles. The leather jacket with buttons galore and all those embroidery-laden on the front. Yes, that one. My verdict?

You know that kinda feeling when you go on a blind date, that you expect something but it turned out not as what you want after all. Well, what can I say... it happens to this jacket though. That same feeling. First - this one is not leather -it's pleather or scientifically people known it as polyurethane. Or our friends at Uniqlo like to call it neo-leather. Well, that's not too bad coz it appeals to even the vegetarian people. :) Overall, I like the design. The embriodery that fill the whole front torso as well as on the cuff. And all the metal buttons galore. That's quite something, huh? But, with something whole lot more going on on the back side, I think it's too tacky. i prefer the backside is plain.

And the price at £99 for non-leather? Are you kidding me? But if you're talking about buying it for the sake of the art alone, I couldn't agree more. One thing for sure, it does look like what Jimi Hendrix used to wear, right?

Another version that's new is this slightly subdued version of it. Still with loads of button, but less ornate as before. Both jacket fit nicely. I dunno whether I should bag it, but it does look good should I wanna wear it during my fashion show next year. :)

An Afternoon At SHOWStudio: Fashion Revolution Exhibit

Last weekend I tried to play tourist again after so long I haven't been doing it. Coz at the same time, I'm trying (read: really trying okay...) to avoid my trip to the highstreet. Otherwise I'll end up bringing home something, as what I usually do. Since London is a large city, there're still lots more to explore. Plus with so many museums and galleries around, even one week is not enough.

So, I made some time to see one of the major exhibit at Somerset House. The SHOWStudio: Fashion Revolution - a one of it's kind exhibition led by the award-winning image maker, Nick Knight. If you love fashion and anything gotta do with it, then this one is a must-visit.

What's hot? The journey started when you pay the ticket, of course. Thankfully it's not that pricey - just £4 for students (+ another £2 if you wanna buy the guidebook). The entering via the Mirror Room, then I'm stunned to see a gargantuan sculpture of Naomi Campbell. The statue is made of through a 3D technology - capturing images of Naomi and translate it into a sculpture. It was actually white - but visitors can help paint it using a pad underneath it as what they like. As you can see in the pix, someone even draw an arrow pointing to who-know-what. Unfornately, I get the chance to paint Naomi's rear with some stripes ala Zebra!

Making my way to the upper floor is where the other exhibits are. Starting with Alexander McQueen video footage of his work ''The Bridegroom Stripped Bare' in which he transform a bridegroom into a bride of fury (?). If you wanna really see the real weird wide world of designers, then this is a must-see.

Then there was works by Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons showcasing her Witch suit, and Galliano in the Past, Present and Couture... and some others. And what is fashion without the model, right? There was these phone 'booth' with Lily Donaldson. Irina Lazareanu, Lily Cole (and I forgot the other one..ehehehe). Once lifted the phone, I can hear the messages telling the diary of the models' daily life, of what they're doing at the moment. Pretty cool. I like Lily D's phone messages - while Lily C, I don't know why the heck is a man's voice speaking out there?

And there was this tele-interview to some designers, artist and models like Tracey Emin, Kate Moss and Vivienne Westwood. I love watching Kate Moss interview - very sweet. She kinda remind me of Winona Ryder a bit. Hmm.. is that why Johnny Depp keep getting the similar look kinda ladies?

VW's interview really fascinates me coz she gave a very long answer. No wonder why she was awarded a Honorary Doctorate by King's College, huh? A question by Naomi is what I like - 'Why do you gave the the shoes even though I stumbled because of it' (it sounds like that more or less). And the Dame gave this long and elaborate answer as you can see below. But one phrase that struck me is when she said Naomi is 'the Aphrodite of the modern world'.

Bla, bla, bla.. other exhibits: These glass tiles smacked with the models' lips. From Erin O'Connor, Kate Moss, Agyness Deyn, Helena Christensen, Stella Tennant and even Janice Dickinson (yikes!).

The Design Download - where upcoming fashion designers can download the pattern form their favorite noted designers like Galliano, McQueen and Margiela - and create their own interpretations. Like these lots...

Design inspired but cut pattern by Galliano

and Martin Margiela....

... and McQueen, as well as Antony Price

Some other exhibit: casting for models which is done everyday.. so get your style on check! Then it was Live Studio, where you can watch the process behind the scenes how a photoshoot is done. I watched Lily D photoshoot that afternoon. Very interesting... And if you're lucky, you can also see the live potrait of some model sitting on a chair, doing nothing but pose. ;)

And there was Fashion Film, and Political Fashion near the exit. Before making your way out, there's a souvenir shop to get your dosh spent on - like the Louis Vuitton coffee table book, some postcards of SHOWStudio and T-Shirts as well.

Did I say I didn't wanna spend my money? Yeah, right. I ended bringing home one black tee made of 100% sustainable bamboo fibers. Nice fabric. It quite cheap, so what's not to like? :)

The exhibition runs till 20th December 09. Nearest tube: Temple (or Embankment, but a tad farther). More info click here.

Live and Die in LA

(Urban Outfitters Dress, Jeffrey Campbell Alexa Wedges)

Did you guys have a Happy Thanksgiving?

Mine was the usual: KFC with the family since we don't like turkey and that's our lame tradition....

I've always envied those with a big happy family like my boyfriend's.

I come from a somewhat of a broken home although both of my parents are super loving and probably are the best parents who are also extremely stylish. lol
To be honest, I hate Thanksgiving. I hate any special holidays where you spend eating delicious food with your family because my sister and I only had each other when we were growing up and it was so boring. Nothing to do, no big meal to eat. Although we always had awesome friends who gave us leftovers. This year being Carol(thank you. We love you Carol. Your mom's the best cook!) Normally it's Sam aka Ham Shin who gives us his leftovers that he got from church..

My dad's brother passed away. Now our small family is even smaller. I went to a funeral for the first time and saw a dead person for the first time too. It was weird and sad. The fact that they're were only six of us was the saddest part. RIP 큰삼촌..

I don't mean to write such a depressing entry but for those haters out there, and who think I'm a spoiled rich girl, now you know, I don't have it all.

On a brighter note, I watched Ninja Assasin, and omg, it was such a good fight movie. I watched it with my sister and 5 of my highschool homies including Ham Shin, and all the guys hated the movie but my sister and I loved it. I think they're just jealous. They have to be. Rain is so hot in this movie. I think I want to be a ninja. I do qualify since I'm part Japanese. hehe

Aimeeways you guys, have a great week & a happy and warm December!
Love,

Aimee

Chinese Dragon Tattoo Gallery

About Chinese Dragon Tattoo - What Most People Don't Know But Should
By Fanyun Ding

Chinese dragon is a mythical divine beast originated from ancient Chinese folklores. It is now commonly depicted as a huge, serpentine, and scaled creature. Unlike "western dragon" that has been described as evil, Chinese dragon has long been symbolized as the power of auspice both in folklore and art. Created on the land of an agriculture-oriented country, Chinese dragon is believed to bring rain and water, which well explains the position it takes in Chinese culture.

For centuries, Chinese people proudly refer to themselves as "Long De Chuan Ren", or "Descendants of the Dragon". This ethnic identity is believed to originate from Huang Di, a benevolent, legendary emperor who was said to have been immortalized into a dragon. Since Huang Di is considered to be the ancestor of Chinese, hence the saying "Descendants of the Dragon".

Due to that Huang Di myth, Chinese dragon is also symbolized as an imperial power. For dynasties, emperors were referred to as "Long Zi" or "offspring of the dragon", who wore imperial robes with dragons drawn on and claimed to have a dragon birthmark as a divine authorization by heaven.

Chinese dragon is also among the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, a special Chinese way of designating years. To be more specific, year 2000,1988,1976,1964,1952 or any year with a 12-year gap between would be year of the dragon. In order to be "like a dragon", there are more babies born in the years of dragon than in any other animal years of the Chinese Zodiac.

Given all the foresaid reasons, it is not hard to understand why Chinese dragon is so popular among tattoo lovers. In fact, if you happen to be born in those dragon years, it's much recommended that you get a dragon tattoo because you are born blessed to be connected with Chinese dragon.

Basically, Chinese dragon is being tattooed in two forms: picture and character. Some prefer to have their whole back area tattooed with a vivid picture of dragon, while others may be satisfied with the Chinese character of "dragon" tattooed within a one-inch square of area. For dragon picture tattoos, a careful selection of the picture as well as the tattoo artist would be enough to ensure a quality dragon tattoo. For dragon character tattoos, however, it takes efforts to find a great tattoo idea, since you have to take many factors into consideration, including the literal meaning, the "actual" meaning, and the "cultural meaning" of the word that you select. Well, that's just the tricky thing of Chinese.

Fortunately, there are many Chinese phrases that associate with the idea of Chinese dragon. Followings are three dragon-related Chinese idioms for your reference.

Shen Long Ma Zhuang/ Long Shen Ma Zhuang

strong and energetic with an impressive bearing.

Both Shen Long Ma Zhuang and Long Shen Ma Zhuang are legitimate as an idiom, as in many cases Chinese characters can be reversed in words yet remain a similar meaning, just like this one.

Literally speaking, Shen means "magical, with divine power", Long means "dragon", Ma means "horse" and Zhuang means "strong". In Chinese culture, horse is considered intelligent, powerful and friendly to human, which therefore is used together with dragon in this idiom to describe the state of being strong and energetic.

By the way, Shen would be quite a nice character to ink alone, which could also mean "Almighty".

Ru Long Si Hu: valiant and energetic

Both Ru and Si means "like" in Chinese, so this idiom literally means "like a dragon like a tiger". Traditionally, Hu(tiger) and Long(dragon) are used together in phrases, idioms, and sayings to display a status of being strong, in power, and dominant. Needless to say, this idiom would be definitely fit for males since it's full of strength and masculinity.

What's worth noting, however, is that Long usually appears before Hu in expression, and it would seem weird when reversed. That being said, it would be a great idea to add Hu to your tattoo if your former choice was to ink Long alone, yet the right way to do this would be to ink "Long Hu", not "Hu Long".

Huo Long Xian Jian: strong and vigorous

Literally speaking, Huo means "alive", Long means "dragon", Xian means "fresh", and Jian means "healthy". When combined together, they form a unique Chinese idiom, one with a new and congruent meaning. Great literal meaning, great actual meaning, and great cultural meaning, this one is definitely fit for tattooing.

These dragon-related Chinese idioms are the literary and cultural embodiment of dragon and they truly live up to the standards of a unique and smart Chinese tattoo. It will be so amazing if you find one that best fits your personality. A Chinese tattoo dragon can be much more than an ink, but a special identity that helps you stand out of the crowd.

Chinese Dragon Tattoo Flash

Chinese Tattoos - Meaning of Chinese Dragon Tattoos
By Declan O Reilly

Chinese Tattoos have always been hugely popular. At one stage they were the realm of criminals and the mafia. Now it seems even Hollywood celebrities seem to have caught on to the mystery and allure of the Far East. While it is undeniable that classic Chinese tattoos have an attraction which can easily be appreciated regardless of whether one can understand the often subtle meanings or not.



Aesthetics should be the primary consideration when getting tattooed, and Chinese characters are very well suited to this purpose. While tattoos have always been conversation pieces, Chinese tattoos add another element, since the typical viewer will probably ask you the meaning, which allows the wearer to not only translate the characters, but to explain the story behind the decision to make such a lasting statement.

Meaning is an important question however and for this reason can make Chinese tattoos date very quickly. Often it is not quite what the wearer was told by the tattooist at the tattoo shop or the meaning can become irrelevant after a few years.



Hopefully the person being tattooed has done his or her research and consulted with a native Chinese speaker about the meaning before being inked. Some non Chinese speakers have unwittingly tattooed their bodies with Chinese symbols which when translated become meaningless.

The most common Chinese tattoos are ones that are supposed to represent ideas and qualities like love or strength. Keep in mind that the concepts are aimed at English speakers, and on that level "peace, love and happiness" are easily understandable.



But before you run off to the studio to get one done you should do your research. Selecting a Chinese tattoos deserves careful study and attention. It should have less to do with style and more to do with your character, work, and values. It's permanent, so it's a pretty important decision in your life. In the end, it is important to choose something of lasting appeal not something faddish.



Chinese Dragons

For centuries, the Chinese dragon has been a symbol of power and mystery. Depicted in countless legends, both Eastern and Western, the dragon has provoked man to fear and worship it. In medieval Europe, it was a bloodthirsty, fire-breathing figure. Its malevolence and ferociousness struck terror in all. However, in Asia, it is the contrary. The mighty dragon is a mythical beast long celebrated for its benevolence, intelligence and good will. The Chinese dragon has been a common symbol of identity for Far Eastern cultures.



In fact, Chinese people all over the world are affectionately known as “lung de chuan ren”, or the "descendants of the dragon”. There are several distinct species of Chinese dragons. The Horned Dragon is considered to be the mightiest. The Celestial Dragon supports the heavens and protects the Gods. The Earth Dragon rules all of the earth. The Spiritual Dragon controls the wind and rain. The Treasure Dragon is the keeper of precious metals and gems. The Winged Dragon is the only dragon with wings. The Coiling Dragon dwells in the ocean. The Yellow Dragon is a hornless dragon known for its scholarly knowledge.

Dj tattoo in polynesian style finished

Hi there,

I finished the tattoo for the Dutch DJ, incorporating the turtle motive and a stylized turntable.

Regards, Mark

A Croc Bite: This Boots Is Not Made for Walking

Finally one of my croc has deceived me. This faux croc leather boots that I got as a birthday treat earlier this month. When I first saw it on the web, I was like - wohoo.. gotta have that. So I went to the store and snap it fast! With croc making a huge trend this season and the store offers additional discounts, what's not to buy?

Then a week later I put it to the test. Damn! My feet really being squeed tight because of its slim fitting. Norrower compared to my other boots. I don't really realized it when I put it on before. But on the street; when I really WALK in this boots... my God, I can't even make my steps properly though it's quite lightweight. And to make things even worse, my toes are effing blistering - the toes on left foot are bleeding to hell! My socks are soaking with blood! Arrrgghh!
(Hmm.. Leona's Bleeding Love suddenly sang in my head - keep bleeding, keep..keep bleeding love. Lol!)

Man, this boots is really not made for walking. It is just made for posing! :(

Later that day, I went home and change for my Gucci. Problem sorted.