I’m just really stressed!!!!!

However, I know I can go through it because I believe that he will never give us something that we can’t handle in life.

I went to a wedding yesterday and I saw some old faces that I have not seen for years! It was really nice to see those faces again.

These days I was approached by few of my blog readers (Thanks for reading guys!!)

They sent me messages through fb(although I’m barely on because of the endless school work) and I was happy to answer those questions. Few repeating messages that I got, few were from my friends that already knows me pretty well, was “Where do you shop?” I shop everywhere!!! HAHA I don’t limit myself but I do shop at Zara pretty often because they are so quick with the high fashion updates and also they’re all very affordable! But one thing you should have in mind is that you get what you pay for.

A lot of Zara’s merchandise, they may be fashion forward and very trendy but the quality isn’t the best. That is another reason why Zara’s items are affordable for its designs. I’m not saying their quality is horrible, if it was really bad I would not buy it at all. but I’m just saying you can’t expect Alexander McQueen and Balmain quality from Zara.

Also, for people who are very fashion conscious, we probably don’t wear the same design more than one season. I usually don’t. more like I can’t because there are so much more variety offered in every season!

Mmmm…. to be truthful though, I do most of my shopping through online. I’m just too lazy to go and buy stuff anymore. Or maybe it is because I have so much more to choose from through online than in stores, because lots of times some stores do not carry what’s on online. I bought a lot of my shoes from Jeffrey Campbell, Dolce Vita (DV), Sam Edelman these days. Although they have high heels, their shoes look amazing and also very comfortable!

I also buy some stuff from internationally because I can’t find those designs from in the States.

The two jackets  from across the country that are on their way here are:

I got the black one in beige because I already have a lot of neutral and khaki colors for this spring

and I got that blue one as well. I can’t wait till they get here!!!!

During our shopping hours, I shared a secret  habit of mine to Molly and she said I’m crazy. (HAHA)

This secret habit is… shaping my closet for the upcoming season. I started doing this since two seasons ago. Before, I use to purchase stuff that I like either from the magazine or just from the shops that I go often. But now, I actually use magazines to know what NOT to get. By the time when some styles gets spread all over the media and mass produced, that is the time for me to stop buying those styling items. I still wear  those style for couple more weeks and then move on to hunting for the next season style  items and wear them before they get spread too.

Why do I do this? I don’t know. I don’t like it when everyone has the same style and wears the same thing. One reason why I’m obsessed with high fashion.

How do I figure out what’s going to be in style for the upcoming season way ahead and start forming the collection for my closet? There are specific months when the high end fashion designers introduce their seasonal collections in Paris, Milan, London, New York, and Tokyo. I get on them within a week. (Thanks to today’s advanced technologies!) That week I just look at all the collections from the runway shows and just get the feel of what I find interesting. Then few weeks later I go back and look at them closely once more and get a hold of what seems to be eye catching and suitable for the season. During this stage I look at type of fabrics, color, silhouette, structure of garments. I usually pick out my two or three favorite collections and get the inspiration for my own closet for that season. Some people think I’m crazy but Molly does not deserve to say it because she’s like how I am! Although she doesn’t do this shaping closet thing

I don’t “follow” the collections and buy everything from them. But I DO buy some items here and there from those collections and create outfits. What is important is taking the inspiration and do it before it gets widely spread because after when it gets sold every shop possible  that is when those styles lose its significance.

So today, I started on my Spring 2010 collection. I also think this is a good practice for me for the future Soon or later I have to create my collection for school and career so why not practice early!

I’m not too certain about what I’m going for in concept wise yet. But I do have an idea about some stuff that I’m really found of.

Recently I also realized that my closet is ALL BLACK. I need to get out of that because Spring 2010 is telling me that pale and neutral colors are waiting to be found x)

I love creative structures of garments. I’m obsessed with blazers, dresses, and pants with really futuristic structures these days.

Anyways, it is time for me to cut muslins for my homework!

I left for Tokyo as soon as my finals ended and had a little reunion with the friends there.

This trip has been very special to me. It was my first trip together with Faye, and I think we shared a lot of good memories together.

I was also very happy to see Aki, Mizuki and Shu again.

I miss it there already! I wish I could live there for few years…

I spent my Christmas there and came back on the 30th and spent New Years with my family here.

2010 has started off really well so far. I found out that I got 3.8 GPA from last semester, which made me really happy.

I also recently found out that I won the first place for Design Excellence Award!

So on this upcoming Wed, I’ll be picking up the prize and award. I’m pretty excited for that

I still can’t believe I came into the first place but this definitely motivates me to work harder and it gave me a little bit more of confidence with my design works.

Hopefully I’ll improve more and create some nice garments in the future.

Sticker pictures from Tokyo:

I'll definitely visit again!!

<3

On my last day with Mizuki <3

Faye & I

Smileeee

confused?

More to come laterrrr.

Time for me to go to bed!

Here is the address: store.dolcegabbana.com

I guess the online business is really expanding, because I wasn’t expecting D&G to become an e-tailer!

One of the looks from Dolce & Gabbana's Spring 2010 collection

This fall semester, I transferred into Drexel University as a Design and Merchandising major. I was originally International Business and Marketing major at Temple University. While I was studying abroad in Tokyo at Temple University Japan, I realized that I needed to take a step closer to my passion and dream, which is working in the fashion industry. So I put that into an action and transferred out of Temple Univ.

I started going to school at Drexel University in the fall and I loved every classes that I was taking. However, as I was getting more knowledge about the fashion industry through these classes, the question of what exact position I want to work in was constantly thrown to me. Every time this question came to me, I had no answer to it. I told myself that I’m going to be a buyer but honestly, the work of a buyer did not fully satisfy this desire and passion that I had for fashion for some reason. Then I realized that every time I see Fashion Design major students, who actually designs and make clothes I really envied them inside. The fact that I couldn’t do that or I wasn’t allowed to do that was really upsetting me.

Then I thought, wait what is really stopping me from being a Fashion Design major? the answer was nothing but my fear. I feared that my parents will not be supportive because they didn’t think I was creative enough. I also feared that my portfolio won’t be good enough to be accepted to the program because Drexel’s Fashion Design program is pretty tough to get in. However, I had to make the decision for myself. Am I just going to envy for forever and regret for not trying at all or am I going to at least give it a shot and accept that I tried my best if I get rejected? I took the second choice and discussed this with my professor from my Design class. My professor, who really supported me and assured me that I will have no problem getting into the program helped me pick some pieces out for my portfolio. My friend who recently graduated with Fashion Design degree, Angela, also helped me by explaining in details about how I should prepare my portfolio.

With their help, I did get in. and I’m so excited and happy. My interviewer, Cynthia told me that it is my passion that she believes in and the interesting styles that she sees in my work. All of these really boosted up my confidence in my artworks. I have to admit that it is very stressful to be as creative as possible at every assignments given to you but when the work turns out good, it gives me the greatest feeling.

I will continue to be energetic, passionate, hard-working and creative.

I will be heading back to Tokyo for the break on 13th of December. I can’t wait!!!

I am also heading to London this summer for an internship

Life is good and I’m just really thankful that God gave me these opportunities.

Sometimes, I wondered is it being addicted to traveling or  is it being unable to stay at one place for so long?

If I had a characteristic of having difficulty to continue one thing for awhile then that will haunt me in the future when I go out in to the real world.

Honestly, a thought of that really scared me inside.

If I look back there were lots of times where I gave up when I could have continued on.

Especially with music career, whenever some kind of opportunity came along I had to turn it down because of the strong resistance from my parents but also the years that they require me to just train without knowing what’s going to happen really scared me deep inside.

Am I a scaredy cat? I think not.

Although If I took this action earlier it would have been better, but as a result I did transfer out of my old college and took a big step and transferred to study fashion even when my parents were a bit against it.

It was always fashion and music that completed me.

Finally I’m doing something for myself. The courage to drop everything I have studied so far from the previous school and start all over again, I gained that from my latest study abroad program in Japan.

Every time I go outside of the country and travel on my own I always gain something big without knowing.

After realizing that, I became addicted to traveling.

So far, I have travelled to: Amsterdam in Netherlands; Florence, Venice, Rome and Milan in Italy; Zurich and Neuchatel in Switzerland.

So where is my next stop?

Well, I’m going back to Japan in December for two weeks but after that, I’m going to London to study abroad for the Spring of 2011!

I’m really excited I hope this freedom that I’m enjoying will last for forever!

AUGUST

Baltimore’s Fashion Week 2009

August 10th- August 14th @ The War Memorial Building, Baltimore

Baltimore’s Fashion Week 2009 is planning to bring a new paved fashionable runway with more creative and innovative designers with captivating designs and professional models to execute the designer’s vision.

September

Couture Fashion Week 2009

September 11th- September 13th @ The Waldorf-Astoria, New York

For this event, fine designers from around the world will be showing exquisite garments and accessories. Fabulous world class entertainers, art and luxury product and service exhibits will also be prepared.

DC Fashion Week 2009

September 14th- September 20th @ Washington

DC Fashion Week 2009 will be taking place at TBC. It is the largest exhibition of fashion apparel in the District of Columbia. The designers of DC Fashion Week are an eclectic group of designing talent who comes from around the world.

There are more events that I found interesting but I will post more about the rest when I find out more about them.

Hopefully I will get to go to some of these events

I woke up with a call from ZARA today.

Yay! I got the job so I should be working there for the summer and also in the fall when the school starts

Visit me at Walnut!

Although I had interviews appointed with other companies that I applied for, I just wanted to work there because I am really interested in their system of running the store.

I think it is because ZARA at Walnut is the only ZARA in Pennsylvania.

Therefore how they get their shipments and running the store in general is quite different compared to some of the other lines such as BCBG and Club Monaco.

I remembered how the Assistant Manager there explained how she was willing to teach me everything about how the store is managed and maintained in the future.

I am  pretty excitedddd. I can’t wait!

These pictures are from Balmain Spring/Summer collection. Although there are only ankle length skinny jeans in those collections, the extra long length ones that you can fold a cuff are pretty attractive these days as well.

These two pictures above will kinda give an idea of how extra long jeans would look like. The first picture on the left is from Christopher Kane and the one on the right is from Maison Martin Margiela’s S/S collection.

Although there are many darker torn jeans out right now, I personally like the white and light colored jeans for that specific style. I think those light colored jeans finishes off the outfit with a bit more of stylish and elegant look.