ABCs – the new fashion generation



I’ve been catching up on my blogging and am utterly fascinated with this IHT piece on the current generation of American-Asian designers which I found via Business of Fashion. 

The article celebrates the ‘ABCs’ (American-born Chinese designers) as Peter Som dubs them, including Som, Thakoon, Alexander Wang, Phillip Lim, Richard Chai et al. I hadn’t thought there was a common thread other than their ethnicity and I was right. Aesthetically, their styles are different but their Asian heritage does come into play. As Anna Sui puts it, there was an exclusion effect of Chinese immigrants being limited to a certain number of industries like restaurants and garment making so it’s no wonder many of the ABCs were from dressmaking families. Derek Lam’s grandparents had a bridal business in San Francisco and growing up he watched the seamstresses wrap fabric around chopsticks to create spaghetti straps. Love it! 

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Fashion week fluster




Oh yikes, LFW is almost upon us and I’m not nearly ready. Dammit, I’ve only just started genning up on New York fashion week (lots of rolled up trousers, sporty chic and girls in boys’ clothing so far), let alone working out my itineraries for the forthcoming week. To make matters worse, all my regular online reads have indepth fashion week coverage so not only do I have to try and keep up with the daily doses of info from Vogue.co.uk, Elleuk.com, Fashionista, Catwalk Queen et al, I now have to keep abreast of all the as-it-happens fashion feeds from the same sites as well as the new Graziadaily.co.uk and Topshopstyle.com (which has Kingdom of Style’s Michelle as contributor. Kudos!). I’m sure Ms Bubble will be out in force too, and I haven’t even mentioned the off-line Daily Rubbish newspaper, full of the kind of irreverant fashion fluff that floats my boat. Sheesh. Better start chasing up those tickets.

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Takashi Yasumura



Indigo Alison has very flatteringly (and I don’t think she was being sarcastic) compared my cake photo to the work of Takashi Yasumura. Now I confess that he wasn’t on my radar until now but I’ve checked his work on the link she gave and hey – I like! As D pointed out, the colour balance and compositions are vaguely remeniscent of 1970s American documentary photos (I’m thinking William Eggleston, Stephen Shore, Mitch Epstein). Anyone alse agree? Hmm, I feel more investigation is needed. In the meantime, I can’t believe this Takashi fellow has copied my cake pic. What a cheek!

Takashi Yasamura


Stephen Shore

William Eggleston


Mitch Epstein



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The finer details





I’m a stickler for quality and for some reason that applies especially to the little things in life – like socks. Socks are important to me and there’s nothing worse than spending a fortune on a snazzy sock (fashion folk always refer to things in the singular) only for the heel to start whittling away by the third wear. Sonia by Sonia Rykiel gives good sock. The fit is just so, there’s ample stretch and they keep their shape well even after several cycles of the washing machine and dryer. And they look good too. My sock emporium of choice is Shop at Maison Bertaux. This is where I go for a cheap(ish) fash fix -Sonia socks are around the £12 mark – although I inevitably come out with some other unplanned-for purchase, how could I not when Madame also has the best pick of APC and Repetto this side of the Channel? Plus, last time I popped in I was not allowed to leave without one of her fabulously elegant tea sets, consisting of tea cup, saucer and cake plate (one can never have too many cake plates) …oh I was in chi-chi heaven! Anyway, I digress. My latest haul of Sonia socks is a riot of outsize polka dots and jazzy stripes. I’m wearing them with a crop jean and preppie loafers, or high heel faux-snake T-bars for special occasions.

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