nipponstyle

look i didn't only hang out in bars, ok? last time i was in the city my intentions were to make it to FIT, however due to my arrival in the wee hours in the morn i became disinterested in a 5 hour stay in starbucks (my packing wasn't ideal for roaming). this time, thanks to a 4 hours delay, i was right on time! another free exhibit it was (the security took much delight in my reaction to this), and i tottered through both the his and hers and the japan fashion nowexhibits. the former explored the differences and similarities between gendered fashion over time, taking a look at what we perceive to be 'male' or 'female', while displaying high-heeled shoes and suits in floral velvet for men, and sharply tailored jackets for women.

as for japan fashion now, it began with a bit of a retrospective on 80s fashion, looking at designers like rei kawakubo, issey miyake, and yohji yamamoto, recognized for their avant-garde deconstructed styles from that era. the main room - made to resemble the streets of tokyo - contained looks from junya watanabe, jun takahashi of undercover, multiple lolita looks by brands like angelic pretty and baby, alongside menswear and other street styles. i adore japanese style, especially after having lived in korea and seen the lack of personal expression (at least in busan), and my only complaint about the exhibit was its "brevity"...give me more, more! my very favourite look was that of the delicate felt cut-out skulls, seen on both a scarf and a dress by jun takahashi: a beautiful ode to alexander mcqueen, if that's what it was (i cannot recall when the classic scarf first made its appearance). all in all, splendid use of my time.