Sheena Trevedi Spring 2015. Photos by Jeanie Kwak.
Tag Archives: jeanie kwak
Harare Spring 2015
If it’s one thing that can bring an entire city to it’s knees, it’s NYC humidity. If you’ve experienced this tropical cloud pass, you know what I’m talking about. We arrived at the Highline Hotel yesterday in the midst of this heat and found it’s green courtyards to be a gentle reprieve from the dense exhaust of city air. We were here for Harare’s SS15 collection, set in the 19th century halls of this former Theological Seminary. It began to rain and the courtyard emptied and guests were ushered upstairs to the second floor. We entered a domed hall with stained glass, golden chandeliers and verdant flora. It was the perfect set up. It was exactly like stepping into a Rousseau painting. The collection is a nod to the nomadic Berber people of Northern Africa. The designer wanted to express the intimate relationship between the wandering nomad and the landscape. The desert, as they say, is their sky and they can feel its changes. The clothes were imaginative in pattern, as always, and the draping dramatic and fluid, both haphazard and deliberate. There is a kind of wild refinement about this designer that is very pleasing. A beautiful deep v cut caftan appeared in tones of rose and nude with gold spangling trailing in the back. Intricate hand embroidery in magenta, mustard, lime and burgundy created a story for these people through the eyes and imagination of the designer. She was drawing a story with her collection, giving homage to the ancient wanderer but collecting the spirit here, in this majestic hall. — Jeanie Kwak
Coachella Is Over, But… This Dress is Not
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Wearing this dress from sammydress.com makes me feel like I’m in an Empire of the Sun video, circa 2009, or at the very least the Dark Horse Katy Perry video. The bottom half is sheer (but not too sheer- it has a an opaque slip) and Grecian and bridal, while the top half is hipster-Aztec & Coachella inspired.
Do any of these references make sense? Here’s the thing– when I wear items of clothing that feel particularly trendy, I tend to throw references out there, usually pop music inspired. But judge for yourself. Would you rock this dress on a hot summer day? Could you see yourself blending into the hipster flora of your neighborhood? It’s flowy and bright and has great patterns, even a few bejeweled pieces that make me feel like nail art. It feels snug on the chest but in a secure way, kind of like how small dogs like to be bound in comfort vests (another reference!). I could see myself wearing this to an 11 am brunch in which you plan to imbibe in sangria, or a market run with Grecian sandals. The more I wore this dress in the safety of my living room, the more I thought, hey I can pull this off! I tend to make wardrobe choices that veer towards neutral tones like beige, navy, and grey and it’s fun to wear something that’s outside of your comfort zone, just to see yourself in a new way. — Jeanie Kwak
Pony’s Beauty Diary
Hello, Modernglossers!
I was on youtube last night, going through some videos to prepare for my upcoming trip to Seoul, Korea when I stumbled upon this pretty Korean makeup artist named Pony. Her real name is Hye Min Park and she has a youtube channel called Pony’s Beauty Diary. The more I watched her, the more enamored I became. She seemed normal, dorky, and real.
We’re all familiar with Michelle Phan, the PixiWoo sisters, and Lisa Eldridge on youtube. Here is a fresh asian voice and face to follow!
Check her out:
Pony is considered “Ulzzang” which means “best face” in Korean. Korean beauty, I’ve noticed, value large, round eyes, pale skin, an oval shaped face, and an innocent and cute manner. They tend to shy away from anything overly sexy. This is in contrast to American or Western beauty which focuses on strong, angular beauty– all cheekbones, arched eyebrows, and tan skin. These differences in cultural values is interesting to observe. We all work against or towards an idea of beauty–whether you want to be gothic and daring or sweet and innocent, it’s all a kind of persona we are creating for ourselves.
So, remember, make-up is fun. It doesn’t and shouldn’t define you but is an avenue of experimentation and transformation.
That being said, we have a new feature on our website. We partnered with Stylecaster.com to implement a new app called “Virtual Makeover”
You’ll see it up above in the tabs. If you click on it, you can follow the prompts to virtually try on any hairstyle or look.
So be sure to check it out. Oh, and if you like anything you virtually “try on” the product is available to purchase right through the app! Leave a comment if you have any questions. Have fun!
– JK
Photo Credit http://fuckyeahparkhyemin.tumblr.com/post/67742725907
CJ Entertainment Korean Cinema Event
The stars of Korean drama and film were out last night, gracing the red carpet event of CJ Entertainment’s 60th Anniversary commemoration of its parent company CJ Group. CJ Entertainment is South Korea’s largest entertainment studio, producing the new wave of highly acclaimed Korean films.
The event was held in the lofty halls of the Museum of Modern Art, where a screening of two films: Safe (director Moon Byoung-Gon) and End of Animal (director Jo Sung Hee) were shown. The event sought to showcase two of its most promising directors and their films to global industry leaders.
Some well known Korean actors in attendance were Lee Byung Hyun, (seen in such thrillers as I Saw The Devil; The Good, The Bad, The Weird; A Bittersweet Life), handsome, baby-faced Goo Soo (Piano; Green Rose; Some White Night; Haunters), Ha Jung-Woo (The Chaser; The Unforgiven; Time; Never Forever; Take Off) and Lee Jin Wook (Nine: Nine Time Travels). Two beautiful Korean actresses were also in attendance: the slight and winsome Gong Hyo-Jin (Crush and Blush; Pasta; The Greatest Love) who had actor Goo Soo by her side, and the stunning Hwang So-Hee who looked elegant in her cream lace dress. Last by certainly not least was Korean pop sensation PSY (Gangnam Style) looking respectfully sedate and dapper in his black suit.
– Jeanie Kwak
Photos by Charlie Gigante