So..here's what happened in the tennis world half way around the globe last night while we were sound asleep
Federer destroyed Tsonga in the men's seminfinal, he's going to meet Andy Murray, who's trying to end England's "god knows how long it's been" grand slam drought
Serena and Venus successfully defended their Australian Open doubles title, Venus didn't even know it was match point and acted overly subdued when they finally won, it's always nice to see the sisters just being sisters
Tonight will be the highly anticipated Women's final between rival Serena Williams and Justine Henin,
Backstories...Serena has a chance to end her "only winning in odd year pattern" while Justine has a chance of winning a grand slam in only her 2nd tournament back from retirement (if she wins, it will also spark many discussions on whether it is her being amazing, or the state of Women's tennis is just dismal)
Who Will Win????
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
The ridiculousness of Couture
Couture reminds you what fashion could be, not necessarily what it should be, but how far and how creative it can go. Even though this season isn't as ground-breaking compared to the past, but compared to the rest of the industry, where everyone is trying to play around the line and rarely crosses it, this is equivalent to a breath of fresh air. Here's some highlight of Paris spring 11 and I'll try to point out some Oscar worthy gowns
First off, Armani Prive - the sailor moon collection
Mr. Armani said he was inspired by the moon, I say he watched one too many episode of the classic Japanese anime. But to his credits, the suits were tailored impeccably, there were some outrageous designs, more adventurous but still glamorous
That crescent accessory really bugs me, but the suit is truly well made
Interesting use of a shiny stiff fabric, the big brands nowadays are all characterized by their ability to use innovative material
My favorite piece in the collection, not sure who or where can you wear this, and this is definitely one of those "i love it/I hate it" piece, it leaves nothing in between, you'll either think it's ingenious how they manipulated the fabric and think it looks ethereal, or you think it looks like the person is being stuffed inside an air-tight zip-lock bag, like a sandwich in one of those TV commercials.
Someone please wear this to the Oscars! The shape is dramatic, the curves are feminine, and the fabric is just sick and out of this world, it's like a sheer but stiff textured organza twisted and folded until it became this. And Karlie Kloss just rocked it.
Next...Jean Paul Gaultier, no need for words, let the picture do the talking
Are there anything that Karlie Kloss can't pull off?
And then there's....Chanel, the double C's, the clothes were kind of meh, the vibe is kind of 60's french maid (well this french maid is probably getting paid pretty handsomely to be sporting Chanel suits, but that's besides the point), the collection just seemed like a slight variation from the SS10 spring, but the the hair, the hair is definitely something else
Instead of picture, I'll do it by words, it's all the same...tweed...tweed...tweed...tweed jacket...tweed skirts...tweed dress...tweed shorts...wait what?? Tweed shorts? Yes, they made shorts, that's something new...
If uncle Karl would wear a dress, it would look like this
A male model, one of uncle Karl's favorite, Baptiste Giabaconi, rocking some metallic suit, is this supposed to be a wedding?? I thought everyone knew he and her are both gay. Oh uncle Karl, always the irony
Valentino: very un-Valentino like, tons of chiffon, which is nothing new to Valentino, but it's twisted and wrapped in a very chic way that is very couture and at the same time not very couture, at least in the house of Valentino. It has some of my favorite looks out of this past week.
How does the chiffon stay up like this to look like a flower, tagging? Or is it just cuz she's walking with a fan blowing up her face, what if she's just standing still? Who would want to look like a flower that is wilting...
For some reason I love this. I like the proportion, I think ruffles are hard to work with and this dress could only work if you're tall and lean, but it's alright. The color is fun, very contained but still bold with the neon yellow and lavendar and taupe. Would like to see someone wear it to the Oscars, but probably not.
This screams red carpet, but too quiet for the Oscars, it needs something else, but it's a possible choice.
Now this is Oscar ready, loud, feminine, pretty, dramatic enough for such a big occasion.
That's it for now, so far so good.
First off, Armani Prive - the sailor moon collection
Mr. Armani said he was inspired by the moon, I say he watched one too many episode of the classic Japanese anime. But to his credits, the suits were tailored impeccably, there were some outrageous designs, more adventurous but still glamorous
That crescent accessory really bugs me, but the suit is truly well made
Interesting use of a shiny stiff fabric, the big brands nowadays are all characterized by their ability to use innovative material
My favorite piece in the collection, not sure who or where can you wear this, and this is definitely one of those "i love it/I hate it" piece, it leaves nothing in between, you'll either think it's ingenious how they manipulated the fabric and think it looks ethereal, or you think it looks like the person is being stuffed inside an air-tight zip-lock bag, like a sandwich in one of those TV commercials.
Someone please wear this to the Oscars! The shape is dramatic, the curves are feminine, and the fabric is just sick and out of this world, it's like a sheer but stiff textured organza twisted and folded until it became this. And Karlie Kloss just rocked it.
Next...Jean Paul Gaultier, no need for words, let the picture do the talking
Are there anything that Karlie Kloss can't pull off?
And then there's....Chanel, the double C's, the clothes were kind of meh, the vibe is kind of 60's french maid (well this french maid is probably getting paid pretty handsomely to be sporting Chanel suits, but that's besides the point), the collection just seemed like a slight variation from the SS10 spring, but the the hair, the hair is definitely something else
Instead of picture, I'll do it by words, it's all the same...tweed...tweed...tweed...tweed jacket...tweed skirts...tweed dress...tweed shorts...wait what?? Tweed shorts? Yes, they made shorts, that's something new...
If uncle Karl would wear a dress, it would look like this
A male model, one of uncle Karl's favorite, Baptiste Giabaconi, rocking some metallic suit, is this supposed to be a wedding?? I thought everyone knew he and her are both gay. Oh uncle Karl, always the irony
Valentino: very un-Valentino like, tons of chiffon, which is nothing new to Valentino, but it's twisted and wrapped in a very chic way that is very couture and at the same time not very couture, at least in the house of Valentino. It has some of my favorite looks out of this past week.
How does the chiffon stay up like this to look like a flower, tagging? Or is it just cuz she's walking with a fan blowing up her face, what if she's just standing still? Who would want to look like a flower that is wilting...
For some reason I love this. I like the proportion, I think ruffles are hard to work with and this dress could only work if you're tall and lean, but it's alright. The color is fun, very contained but still bold with the neon yellow and lavendar and taupe. Would like to see someone wear it to the Oscars, but probably not.
This screams red carpet, but too quiet for the Oscars, it needs something else, but it's a possible choice.
Now this is Oscar ready, loud, feminine, pretty, dramatic enough for such a big occasion.
That's it for now, so far so good.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
USTA planning to launch nationwide playoff tournaments
This is an interesting idea, for the first time, any American (well, only if you are a member of the USTA, but theoretically any American), will now have a chance to play your way into the qualifying draw of the US Open, which is slated to begin early September.
USTA will be hosting a series of tournament in each USTA national sector and anybody can sign up to play; the eventual winner will be slotted inside the US Open qualifying draw competing against the world's ranked professionals.
I like this idea for several reasons. First, it's great press, they even got Olympic downhill skier Bode Miller to announce his interest in participating. Because it is open to the public, it's due to receive tons of press, and it is the perfect formula for an underdog/Cinderella story; the no name dreamer who found his/her way to the US Open, where all dreams will come true and everybody should watch how it happens.
Secondly, this increases the appeal of the US Open. Lately, the tournament has been generating less buzz outside of NYC, where it's hosted. There aren't as many top American players who can attract the nation's attention away from 10 million other things that are happening. Last year we had Melanie Oudin, and I think the tournament is gearing itself to become a sentimental symbol for the American dream, after all, if you work hard enough, and with a little luck, you can achieve ANYTHING!
Thirdly, it will be quite hilarious to see what's the level of these "amateur" player. I use a quotation because you can bet your behind that most of the entries will be teaching pros, current/ex collegiate players, and many top juniors. If this person end up doing quite well, it's good for the tournament, good for American tennis, and very amusing for me, the spectator.
All in all, this is very interesting, I'm wondering if one of my friend will enter...I hope she does
USTA will be hosting a series of tournament in each USTA national sector and anybody can sign up to play; the eventual winner will be slotted inside the US Open qualifying draw competing against the world's ranked professionals.
I like this idea for several reasons. First, it's great press, they even got Olympic downhill skier Bode Miller to announce his interest in participating. Because it is open to the public, it's due to receive tons of press, and it is the perfect formula for an underdog/Cinderella story; the no name dreamer who found his/her way to the US Open, where all dreams will come true and everybody should watch how it happens.
Secondly, this increases the appeal of the US Open. Lately, the tournament has been generating less buzz outside of NYC, where it's hosted. There aren't as many top American players who can attract the nation's attention away from 10 million other things that are happening. Last year we had Melanie Oudin, and I think the tournament is gearing itself to become a sentimental symbol for the American dream, after all, if you work hard enough, and with a little luck, you can achieve ANYTHING!
Thirdly, it will be quite hilarious to see what's the level of these "amateur" player. I use a quotation because you can bet your behind that most of the entries will be teaching pros, current/ex collegiate players, and many top juniors. If this person end up doing quite well, it's good for the tournament, good for American tennis, and very amusing for me, the spectator.
All in all, this is very interesting, I'm wondering if one of my friend will enter...I hope she does
Venus stumbles while Serena marches on
They might share the same last name, but their fate at the 2010 Australian Open had nothing in common after their respective battle on the court, one after another. Besides both being a 3-setters, each sister approached the net after their match with the exact opposite reason; while Serena fought her way back from a 0-4 2nd set deficit, Venus failed to close out her match in the 2nd set and went on to lose a jig-sawed 3rd set, eventually losing to one of the streakiest player on the WTA tour - my personally favorite Chinese - Li Na (and it's Li Na, don't call her Na Li like some of those commentators on ESPN who wouldn't even take the time to learn how to pronounce the name of a top 15, soon top 10 player in the world)
Sad to see Venus go, but glad Li Na got through. She along with Zheng Jie, both from China, occupies 2 out of the 4 spots in the women's semifinal. I have a feeling that's as far as they'll go, but hey, it's tennis, you never know until the final point, so never rule out an all Chinese singles final come Saturday.
A little on Venus' game and Serena's gut(not the on that's hanging onto your waist)...Venus needs a plan B, she just can't change up her shots or move her feet and her footwork differently. So when she's down, all she knows is how to hit her way out, and sometimes, especially when you're older, that just doesn't come as easily. Plus, as grand as it sounds on paper, or on air, her "I live in the moment" philosophy is getting a little annoying. Although it could easily be interpreted as her being confident in her abilities , it also comes across as slightly arrogant and overly prideful in a game that is not always top-notch.
But on the other hand, Serena, although her game is also not always on top gear, she has the most mind-blowing will power I've witnessed. It's something special to see in front of your own eyes, that extra power and hunger which she can call upon time and again. For Serena, it's almost not about her game, but it's more about when she can execute it, and for today, bringing it out while down 2-6 0-4 wasn't too bad of a time.
Who knows, after all these, maybe Justine Henin will just blow everyone out of her way and win a grand slam after two tournaments. This way she'll beat Kim Clijster's record of winning a slam 3-tournaments into a come back, since Henin always tops Clijster anyway, right? Life.
Sad to see Venus go, but glad Li Na got through. She along with Zheng Jie, both from China, occupies 2 out of the 4 spots in the women's semifinal. I have a feeling that's as far as they'll go, but hey, it's tennis, you never know until the final point, so never rule out an all Chinese singles final come Saturday.
A little on Venus' game and Serena's gut(not the on that's hanging onto your waist)...Venus needs a plan B, she just can't change up her shots or move her feet and her footwork differently. So when she's down, all she knows is how to hit her way out, and sometimes, especially when you're older, that just doesn't come as easily. Plus, as grand as it sounds on paper, or on air, her "I live in the moment" philosophy is getting a little annoying. Although it could easily be interpreted as her being confident in her abilities , it also comes across as slightly arrogant and overly prideful in a game that is not always top-notch.
But on the other hand, Serena, although her game is also not always on top gear, she has the most mind-blowing will power I've witnessed. It's something special to see in front of your own eyes, that extra power and hunger which she can call upon time and again. For Serena, it's almost not about her game, but it's more about when she can execute it, and for today, bringing it out while down 2-6 0-4 wasn't too bad of a time.
Who knows, after all these, maybe Justine Henin will just blow everyone out of her way and win a grand slam after two tournaments. This way she'll beat Kim Clijster's record of winning a slam 3-tournaments into a come back, since Henin always tops Clijster anyway, right? Life.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Sunday afternoon
Went to church
Ate lunch
Played some online game
Browsed through the updated men's show images
checked out thesatorialist, just saw how cool an Italian can make Green looks
Watching Venus struggling and just lost the first set
Still wondering whether or not she's wearing any underwear in her crazy dress
ah...it's sunday afternoon
Ate lunch
Played some online game
Browsed through the updated men's show images
checked out thesatorialist, just saw how cool an Italian can make Green looks
Watching Venus struggling and just lost the first set
Still wondering whether or not she's wearing any underwear in her crazy dress
ah...it's sunday afternoon
Saturday, January 23, 2010
An upcmoing trend that I'm excited about
So it's 3:26 in the morning and again I can't fall asleep, I've watched three matches, all good ones, and then flipped through all the men's show so far in Milan and Paris, and I have to say, even though the styles in these two cities' shows are really different; for example, you'll never see a draped t-shirt walking down a runway in Milan, or you won't show a tailored suit in Paris without somehow messing it up a little, through all the shows I did see one commonality and I think it'll be a big trend this coming fall or even early Spring
Mixed fabric garment is going to be the craze, wool mixed with leather, or nylon with cotton, it's all about contrasting texture within the same color tone to create the illusion of one-ness while creating a visual dissonance.
So if you have anything like that in your closet, then you're lucky b/c it looks like you can save a few bucks come next winter (gosh, we're not even out of this present one yet, why is fashion moving so much faster ahead of life itself...)
Mixed fabric garment is going to be the craze, wool mixed with leather, or nylon with cotton, it's all about contrasting texture within the same color tone to create the illusion of one-ness while creating a visual dissonance.
So if you have anything like that in your closet, then you're lucky b/c it looks like you can save a few bucks come next winter (gosh, we're not even out of this present one yet, why is fashion moving so much faster ahead of life itself...)
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Off to Paris
Men's fashion month moves on to Paris, J'aime le Paris!! Expect to see edgier men's fashion, shows to look forward to: Victor and Rolf, all the Japanese brands (Julius, Undercover, Issey Miyake, Comme Des Garcon..etc), Dries van Noten...
I think I'm going to do a review on Maria Sharapova's off-court fashion soon
I think I'm going to do a review on Maria Sharapova's off-court fashion soon
Neil Barrett - new favorite - FW10
Neil Barrett himself
My kind of a t-shirt, a little funky, makes a white t-shirt that much more interesting
a little cutting and pasting action here, my favorite treatment so far at this year's Milan fashion week
I'm gonna go out and buy a bunch of these buttons, cover them with black and gray fabric and put it on my black pea coat, RIGHT NOW
nice touch with the single leather lapel, not a big fan of the leather pants, but that's just me
Slim, looks like it just came out of the dryer, the suit is fitted, unassuming, and youthful
Men's Fall2010 trends so far
Noticed a couple big trends
Thin Sky High Turtle neck - just enough extra length at the top to give it a little lose scrunch, perfect if you have a scrawnier neck, stay far far away otherwise, my friend Johnson might like it
Prada/Gucci/Jil Sander
Military Boot - basically almost everyone in Milan showed lace up military boots, from heavy duty to elegant moderated versions. I should look for a pair in black for my upcoming NY trip
Burbery Prosum/Neil Berrett/Bottega Venetta
Cut and paste - mixing different fabric and using each for a different part of a garment. Super cool and futuristic, perfect for someone who likes the classic and want to be seen as living in the present also. Example, a top coat that mixes grey suit material with black wool with leather sleeves
Burberry, Neil Berrett, Jil Sander, Trussardi 1911
Other trends - plum-ish color, voluminous overcoats, more lose bottoms
I'll post the picture of my favorite item from Milan soon
Thin Sky High Turtle neck - just enough extra length at the top to give it a little lose scrunch, perfect if you have a scrawnier neck, stay far far away otherwise, my friend Johnson might like it
Prada/Gucci/Jil Sander
Military Boot - basically almost everyone in Milan showed lace up military boots, from heavy duty to elegant moderated versions. I should look for a pair in black for my upcoming NY trip
Burbery Prosum/Neil Berrett/Bottega Venetta
Cut and paste - mixing different fabric and using each for a different part of a garment. Super cool and futuristic, perfect for someone who likes the classic and want to be seen as living in the present also. Example, a top coat that mixes grey suit material with black wool with leather sleeves
Burberry, Neil Berrett, Jil Sander, Trussardi 1911
Other trends - plum-ish color, voluminous overcoats, more lose bottoms
I'll post the picture of my favorite item from Milan soon
Ewah vs. paparrazi
So I was at a fairly nice sweetshop in Silver Lake yesterday buying a gift for a friend. Since LA's having the worst storm we've seen in years, it shouldn't strike as a surprise when a flash of lightning suddenly happened. BUT, this interesting thing happened right after, a girl who works there had this interesting question...
" OMG, is that a parrarazi?"
And I thought to myself, "What the heck, what was she thinking?"
Only in LA would someone mistaken a flash of light in the middle of a storm as the lightbulb of a paparrazi.
Paparrazi: 1 Mother nature: 0
" OMG, is that a parrarazi?"
And I thought to myself, "What the heck, what was she thinking?"
Only in LA would someone mistaken a flash of light in the middle of a storm as the lightbulb of a paparrazi.
Paparrazi: 1 Mother nature: 0
Del Potro def. James Blake in 5 sets, lasted 4 hours!
American Veteran James Blake goes down to the reigning US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro from Argentina in 5 sets 6-4 5-7 6-7 6-3 10-8
Blake had held game points and faced break points in almost all his service games, was up 2-0 in the final set, but still succumbed at the end.
It was one of the best match so far in the AO, to whoever that might be reading this, go watch it on espn, there are a lot of interesting match in this year's men and women draw.
For an individual sport, tennis really packs a bunch of drama, intensity, skills, and sheer will, it's truly one of the few things in this world that inspires me.
Blake had held game points and faced break points in almost all his service games, was up 2-0 in the final set, but still succumbed at the end.
It was one of the best match so far in the AO, to whoever that might be reading this, go watch it on espn, there are a lot of interesting match in this year's men and women draw.
For an individual sport, tennis really packs a bunch of drama, intensity, skills, and sheer will, it's truly one of the few things in this world that inspires me.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
AO fashion so far...not very good
Let's start with the bad ones, cuz there's lots of them
Lacoste - sponsored a million lesser known players, a good strategy, b/c honestly, they're good enough to meet some bigger names, thus exposure on big TV broadcasting courts, and even if they lose, b/c there's SO MANY of them, they'll pull even in terms of exposure. BUT, you CANNOT dress them all in the same outfit in the same color, and none of them look good!! Come on, it's not that hard
there's just too many of them to post
This one is kind of sad....the green-ish color does nothing for her, and the bands are way too thick, that's why it's not slimming as it should (i'm sure that's what the ppl at Yonex was saying to convince her)...plus that expression in the photo, sigh, I know you know you don't look good, it's okay, save your tears for something meaningful, this will past and you'll switch sponsor and end up with something better, I think her expression says it all
Other not so good ones...
Lacoste - sponsored a million lesser known players, a good strategy, b/c honestly, they're good enough to meet some bigger names, thus exposure on big TV broadcasting courts, and even if they lose, b/c there's SO MANY of them, they'll pull even in terms of exposure. BUT, you CANNOT dress them all in the same outfit in the same color, and none of them look good!! Come on, it's not that hard
there's just too many of them to postThis one is kind of sad....the green-ish color does nothing for her, and the bands are way too thick, that's why it's not slimming as it should (i'm sure that's what the ppl at Yonex was saying to convince her)...plus that expression in the photo, sigh, I know you know you don't look good, it's okay, save your tears for something meaningful, this will past and you'll switch sponsor and end up with something better, I think her expression says it all
Other not so good ones...
Australian open Update
Let's see...what's been going on so far after 2 days of play...
Oh! Sharapova crashed out in the first round...Serena and Venus Cruises past their opponents, the Belgian duo are right on course, but then Justine is playing Dementieva tonight, so we'll see (personally don't think Justine will win this one), Vania King, a little Asian-American player, came back to win in 3 sets after having a match point in the 2nd, and then down 5-1 in the 3rd; mm...the new American sweetheart, albeit a not very good one, at tennis at least, lost in the 1st round, thus continuing her sophmore slump...same old boring fashion, besides Venus';
On the men's side, all the top seeds are moving along fine..oh except Federer had a mini-scare when he lost the first set and almost lost the third set to Igor Andreev, Hewitt won his first round pretty handily, Jame Blake is STILL PLAYING, but then he has to play del potro next round (don't look so good there...can you believe Blake is 30 already, it seems like yesterday when he came back and got in the world's top ten looking like he belongs. The men's side is not very exciting so far, gotta wait till the 2nd week, but Andy Roddick is looking good, maybe he'll have a good run.
I need to keep watching, these majors are always good for recreation players to learn something from. I find that saturating yourself with watching tennis sometimes translate well to your own game...you can see how they're moving around the court, what kind of shots are popular or which ones are just plain dumb, and most importantly how to fix my pathetic serve...sigh
Mm...can't wait for tonight's match between Justine and Dementieve, want to see Henin do well, but also think Elena is playing out of her mind and has a really good chance of winning her first major thiis year...we'll see
Oh! Sharapova crashed out in the first round...Serena and Venus Cruises past their opponents, the Belgian duo are right on course, but then Justine is playing Dementieva tonight, so we'll see (personally don't think Justine will win this one), Vania King, a little Asian-American player, came back to win in 3 sets after having a match point in the 2nd, and then down 5-1 in the 3rd; mm...the new American sweetheart, albeit a not very good one, at tennis at least, lost in the 1st round, thus continuing her sophmore slump...same old boring fashion, besides Venus';
On the men's side, all the top seeds are moving along fine..oh except Federer had a mini-scare when he lost the first set and almost lost the third set to Igor Andreev, Hewitt won his first round pretty handily, Jame Blake is STILL PLAYING, but then he has to play del potro next round (don't look so good there...can you believe Blake is 30 already, it seems like yesterday when he came back and got in the world's top ten looking like he belongs. The men's side is not very exciting so far, gotta wait till the 2nd week, but Andy Roddick is looking good, maybe he'll have a good run.
I need to keep watching, these majors are always good for recreation players to learn something from. I find that saturating yourself with watching tennis sometimes translate well to your own game...you can see how they're moving around the court, what kind of shots are popular or which ones are just plain dumb, and most importantly how to fix my pathetic serve...sigh
Mm...can't wait for tonight's match between Justine and Dementieve, want to see Henin do well, but also think Elena is playing out of her mind and has a really good chance of winning her first major thiis year...we'll see
Humanitarian Design
Taking some time out of writing about tennis and fashion to talk about something that I think is both noble and straight up cool.
Just ran into this non-profit organization while watching TV - project h design, they aim at designing things that are useful and socially responsible aiming toward inhabitants of 3rd world countries. For example, they make this pair of eyeglasses that is self-adjustable to fit your prescription, you can do that by adjusting the level of a silicon liquid within the lenses and then remove the syringe and it will look just like a regular pair of "harry-potter chic" glasses (you get the picture)
They have many other featured items such as shoes made for minimizing shock-waves from landmine removal, or a rolling barrel that makes a 200 pound water barrel weights about 40 lbs effectively.
Quoting their executive director, they have a "triple bottomline, three P's, Planet, People, Profit"
Check out their website: http://projecthdesign.org/
My only question how are the ppl in these developing countries going to get/afford these life-improving gagdets???
Just ran into this non-profit organization while watching TV - project h design, they aim at designing things that are useful and socially responsible aiming toward inhabitants of 3rd world countries. For example, they make this pair of eyeglasses that is self-adjustable to fit your prescription, you can do that by adjusting the level of a silicon liquid within the lenses and then remove the syringe and it will look just like a regular pair of "harry-potter chic" glasses (you get the picture)
They have many other featured items such as shoes made for minimizing shock-waves from landmine removal, or a rolling barrel that makes a 200 pound water barrel weights about 40 lbs effectively.
Quoting their executive director, they have a "triple bottomline, three P's, Planet, People, Profit"
Check out their website: http://projecthdesign.org/
My only question how are the ppl in these developing countries going to get/afford these life-improving gagdets???
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Hit for Haiti: A charity tennis exhibition benefiting the Haiti Earthquake a success
It was so much fun to watch this event, especially with the AO starting tomorrow. It's so great to see tennis players, whom many fans fantasized to be dead enemies, to actually come together, not only provide good tennis, but also a friendly atmosphere in this time of sorrow around the world.
All the ticket sales ($10 per person in a 15,000 max capacity Rod Laver Arena) will go toward the relief effort toward Haiti's recovery process. It was an idea first thought of by Roger Federer and within 24 hours, the event came to reality, I have to marvel at people's efficiency and determination. But again, it's really not THAT hard, all the TV stations are already in place, all the players are there, the ticketing system had already been running regularly for the tournament anyway, it's just a matter of getting the word out and nowadays with twitter and facebook, it's as easy as boiling water. But nonetheless, the gesture is very nice.
Funny moments:
1.) When Roddick got called a foot fault, he said, "Are you serious? You're calling a foot-fault in a charity match?! I can't believe this....you DO KNOW that Serena is on my team sitting RIGHT HERE, right??" - good thing Serena can also laugh about this..could've been awkward, looks like she's going to have to live with this incident for a much longer time
2.) When Roger was prompt to use the hawk-eye system, he said, "nah, it never works anyway" - Federer has long been an opponent to hawk-eye becoming an official judging tool in tennis.
3.) Novak Djokovic acting like a trainer rubbing down Nadal's leg after a long hard game...while Clijster looks from the side and asked, "Can a girl do this too??" And then go over and start pinching Nadal's thighs while laughing giggly.
The event in total is expected to raise about A$200,000.
Good luck to all my favorites tomorrow, Serena, Venus, Federer, Clijster, All the chinese players
All the ticket sales ($10 per person in a 15,000 max capacity Rod Laver Arena) will go toward the relief effort toward Haiti's recovery process. It was an idea first thought of by Roger Federer and within 24 hours, the event came to reality, I have to marvel at people's efficiency and determination. But again, it's really not THAT hard, all the TV stations are already in place, all the players are there, the ticketing system had already been running regularly for the tournament anyway, it's just a matter of getting the word out and nowadays with twitter and facebook, it's as easy as boiling water. But nonetheless, the gesture is very nice.
Funny moments:
1.) When Roddick got called a foot fault, he said, "Are you serious? You're calling a foot-fault in a charity match?! I can't believe this....you DO KNOW that Serena is on my team sitting RIGHT HERE, right??" - good thing Serena can also laugh about this..could've been awkward, looks like she's going to have to live with this incident for a much longer time
2.) When Roger was prompt to use the hawk-eye system, he said, "nah, it never works anyway" - Federer has long been an opponent to hawk-eye becoming an official judging tool in tennis.
3.) Novak Djokovic acting like a trainer rubbing down Nadal's leg after a long hard game...while Clijster looks from the side and asked, "Can a girl do this too??" And then go over and start pinching Nadal's thighs while laughing giggly.
The event in total is expected to raise about A$200,000.
Good luck to all my favorites tomorrow, Serena, Venus, Federer, Clijster, All the chinese players
Maria Sharapova's AO2010 Dress
here's a preview of how it would look like
Not a big fan of the color, not sure how the extra layer would look on a person, the ribbon bow in the front is a little much, all in all not a big fan, she definitely had some much better ones in the past.
Not a big fan of the color, not sure how the extra layer would look on a person, the ribbon bow in the front is a little much, all in all not a big fan, she definitely had some much better ones in the past.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
FW10 Men's Fashion weeks kicki off in Milan/Why I should've been a tennis player/Why I think Christopher Bailey rocks
It's Milan, then Paris, and then off to New York City...sadly that's not what I'm going to be doing, but one day, maybe one day, I'll be trotting the globe following the fashion circus just like that.
I really should've been a tennis player for how much I like traveling. See, for fashion, it's only 4 to 5 major cities that people travel around. But the tennis schedule goes something like this
Jan 1st...Brisbane...Hong Kong...Sydney...Melbourne...India...San Jose...Paris...Pattaya City...Indian Wells...Miami...Madrid...Berlin...Rome...Istanbul...Paris...London...Cincinnati...Los Angeles...Toronto..New York...Beijing...Moscow...Linz...Nov: Doha (All within 52 weeks and more)
Anyway, back t
o Milan tomorrow, sounds like Buberry's getting the most hype so far, at least in Milan, where all the weird cool Japanese ppl stay far far away from. Fair enough, the brand's chief designer Christopher Bailey has single-handedly turn the brand around. Since joining the centennial, borderline archaic fashion house, the designer has steadily presented outstanding pieces, all of which are full of a rock and roll attitude that infuses much needed youth into Burberry's style. And now, after successfully convincing the world that the house can do more than just trench, but at the same time reinventing the signature style in leather and studs and 10 million other kinds of fabric, and also a special collection with Colette, along with countless campaigns with miss Moss and their new favorite, Emma Watson, the brand is thoroughly transformed; retaining all the former prestige while gaining a new legion of younger die-hards.
By the way, I wonder if my friend Kevin will be traveling to all these shows. Last I heard he's got a job with H Lorenzo doing sales, my guess is for men's fashion. So congrats to Kevin if he has truly became one of the fashion globe trotting energizer bunnies and if so, then I should ask him for daily updates, that should be exciting
I really should've been a tennis player for how much I like traveling. See, for fashion, it's only 4 to 5 major cities that people travel around. But the tennis schedule goes something like this
Jan 1st...Brisbane...Hong Kong...Sydney...Melbourne...India...San Jose...Paris...Pattaya City...Indian Wells...Miami...Madrid...Berlin...Rome...Istanbul...Paris...London...Cincinnati...Los Angeles...Toronto..New York...Beijing...Moscow...Linz...Nov: Doha (All within 52 weeks and more)
Anyway, back t
o Milan tomorrow, sounds like Buberry's getting the most hype so far, at least in Milan, where all the weird cool Japanese ppl stay far far away from. Fair enough, the brand's chief designer Christopher Bailey has single-handedly turn the brand around. Since joining the centennial, borderline archaic fashion house, the designer has steadily presented outstanding pieces, all of which are full of a rock and roll attitude that infuses much needed youth into Burberry's style. And now, after successfully convincing the world that the house can do more than just trench, but at the same time reinventing the signature style in leather and studs and 10 million other kinds of fabric, and also a special collection with Colette, along with countless campaigns with miss Moss and their new favorite, Emma Watson, the brand is thoroughly transformed; retaining all the former prestige while gaining a new legion of younger die-hards.By the way, I wonder if my friend Kevin will be traveling to all these shows. Last I heard he's got a job with H Lorenzo doing sales, my guess is for men's fashion. So congrats to Kevin if he has truly became one of the fashion globe trotting energizer bunnies and if so, then I should ask him for daily updates, that should be exciting
Friday, January 15, 2010
My favorite color
When I was 14, my favorite color was Brown (sort of an odd choice come to think of it now)
When I became 17 and got into UCLA, my favorite color briefly became Blue and Gold (and then I quickly came to my senses)
When I turned 20, no longer a teenager, I suddenly felt a really strong connection with black, white and gray, and my closet turned into the display window at James Perse
Now I'm 22 and when I slide open my closet doors, I realize I no longer have a favorite color, the once monochromatic selection is now muted with colors, all kinds of color, all of which are hanging slightly messily in front me...
Does that say something? To not have a certain favorite? Or more so to not know what is one's favorite? Maybe it's time to buckle down and pick one from the many, then truly know why I love it, and then just ride with it
When I became 17 and got into UCLA, my favorite color briefly became Blue and Gold (and then I quickly came to my senses)
When I turned 20, no longer a teenager, I suddenly felt a really strong connection with black, white and gray, and my closet turned into the display window at James Perse
Now I'm 22 and when I slide open my closet doors, I realize I no longer have a favorite color, the once monochromatic selection is now muted with colors, all kinds of color, all of which are hanging slightly messily in front me...
Does that say something? To not have a certain favorite? Or more so to not know what is one's favorite? Maybe it's time to buckle down and pick one from the many, then truly know why I love it, and then just ride with it
Reblogging: My obsession with Band of Outsider
This is what happens when two intelligent and just plain cool brands come together, the result is a new pair of shoes that is clearly a must have for the fall.
Band of outsider was able to inject some much needed youth and style into the functional reputation of Sperry Topsiders. Although the latter had been slowly churning out styles that are much more modern and sophisticated, this new collaboration clearly brought the effort level to a new high.
Here goes another thing right onto the top of my wish list.
Maybe I can even play tennis in these??? Mmm...on second thought, maybe not so wise, probably just a photo shoot with Mario Testino on the tennis court, HA, in my dreams
Sydney Final: Dementieva def. Serena Williams 6-3 6-2!!
Well at least I got the first set correctly, didn't think Serena would go down this easily. But she always perform much better at the Slams and there might be some issue with her left knee as it was strapped (not too heavily though)
Dementieva did perform rather impressively. She was moving Serena left to right and hitting some ferocious groudstrokes that are steady yet penetrating, this can really unnerve an opponment. And she ONLY double faulted twice or three times I think, which is a key to her recent success for the past year or so.
Well that's too bad for Serena, but congrats to Elena Dementieva to her first title of the year!
Oh, and the Williams sister are on the same side of the draw at Australian Open AGAIN! Let's hope that Venus will get through the first week this year around. And the Belgians, Clijster and Henin are on the other half and might meet in the quarters, but Henin will first have to get past Dementieva in the 2nd round. Given Dementieva's form these past two weeks, it might be a bit of a daunting task for Justine Henin to beat this in-form top player of the women's tour. Again, we'll see, never say never in tennis...
Uniqlo +J SS10 line debut
It's here! The 2nd season of German designer Jil Sander acting as Uniqlo's creative director arrived in store today. Before I comment on how brilliant Jil Sander is, I must say that Uniqlo is a "must visit" for me in NYC, the three times that I was there, I never missed a chance to visit the store (and obviously it has a lot to do with the fact that the NYC flagship is the only outpost Uniqlo has in North America). I'm all for giant discount retailers collaborating with high-profile designers, I personally own a Tim Hamilton for Uniqlo two-tone double-sided biker jacket. One side is Grey cotton and the other is Black shiny nylon/polyester. It's one of my best purchase, practical and stylish with a great fit that is not too tight. It is...well, this might sound cliche, but it was very New York City.
Anyway, so back to Jil Sander, She has infused her
trademark minimalism into Uniqlo's already ample supplies of sturdy basics . Where before, Uniqlo was quite street heavy, along the vein of a Japanese Gap; but with the addition of Sander to the team, the style (at least the +J line) is starting to seem more European in a sense: dominated with clean lines, familiar fabric, the cut is more refined, each detail is being pondered and designed, and the styling in the ad campaigns is decidedly more edgy; where else can you find a Jil Sander designed suit and coat for less then $200 each? Where that is still a bit too much for my wallet as of this moment, I'm sure this screams BARGAIN for many stylish guys and girls who're on a budget.
Check out the new collection on Uniqlo's website: www.uniqlo.com
Thursday, January 14, 2010
SERENA WILLIAMS VS ELENA DEMENTIEVE, WHO WILL WIN?
The final is going to start in 30 mins, I know I'll be staying up to catch this, it'll be a test to Serena's form, especially since Elena's been owning her the past couple times, I wonder if becoming the new #1 would have given Serena any edge playing against someone who she continually struggles with
My guess...Serena in 3 sets, losing the first one, tight second set and business like usual for the 3rd set.
Oh, and the Australian Open officially started today with qualifying rounds, mm..the first major of the year, the new tennis year is officially in full swing!
It'll be interesting too see what Sharapova will wear this time, it is my honest opinion that she's the most audacious among the top female tennis players in terms of taking risk with her outfits, they're usually the most flattering and fashion forward, while Serena goes for glamor, and Venus usually tries a very sophisticated look, Sharapova is routinely the more chic and playful one out of the three of them.
And I'm excited to see what Roger Federer will wear. His choices on court often translate really well to styles that are popular in men's fashion off-court. Obviously he's not following the styles of Julius or Raf Simons, those would be a little bit scary to see on a tennis court,but he stays pretty close to big name like Vuitton, Prada, or Bottega; pretty much keeping it classy and contained.
New Jasmin Shokrian SS10 lookbook pictures
Wow, can't believe it's finally here! If you go on Jasmin's official website, there are new pictures of her SS10 lines, both collection and Draft. It was so exciting to see them especially since I was a part of the process for most of the lines development.
I think Draft N17 will continue to be a big hit with its clean lines and easy-going sentiments. Jasmin continues to play with bold daring colors, colors ranging from peacock, bee sting yellow, bright orange, and pea green; while the rest of the collection is anchored by quieter colors such as a good amount of navy, white, and black. The ss10 installment of Draft N17 sees the introduction of the circular silhouette, offered in tunic and dress versions in multiple colors and fabrics. The style is effortless and it compliments the wearer's body rather than trying to constrict or change anything about it. The fabric falls along the wearer's natural form and it celebrates our natural beauty that comes through an air of ease and effortless chic.
Key pieces for Draft N17 SS10: Two tone circle tunic, double-layer jersey top, double sketch slip dress, bounded-shoulder chiffon tee, all circle styles (and get them in the craziest color you can imagine....or tolerate)
Collection continues to evolve in its own right, heading to the direction of femininity and softness. Compared to her past collections, this season we can continue to see a movement toward the women, someone who's soft and ladylike. The collection continues to employ luxurious fabric like silk chiffon, satin, and silk crepe. She also continued the use of interesting handmade fabrics, which is quickly becoming one of Shokrian's trademark. This season we see the use of a mesh like netting that gives way to strong shape, and a handmade patterned fabric that combines satin, charmeuse, and muslin (which is a motif continuing from the previous season), there is also a stunning cape/poncho made with gaze encased with chiffon, which gives the illusion of a print from far away. The shape varies from voluminous to tight and sculpted. One stand out detail is the slit like neckline from the black crepe oversize dress, which resembles a pillowcase when the wearer hold her arms up. All in all, this is a collection that is a continuous story from last season and it'll be interesting to see if Jasmin will take a new direction for the coming Fall presentation.
Key looks for Collection: Chiffon encased gaze circle poncho, black crepe pillowcase dress, black mesh netting open back dress w/ chiffon gaze flap, handmade pattern fabric circle poncho
Jasmin Shokrian: www.jasminshokrian.com
I think Draft N17 will continue to be a big hit with its clean lines and easy-going sentiments. Jasmin continues to play with bold daring colors, colors ranging from peacock, bee sting yellow, bright orange, and pea green; while the rest of the collection is anchored by quieter colors such as a good amount of navy, white, and black. The ss10 installment of Draft N17 sees the introduction of the circular silhouette, offered in tunic and dress versions in multiple colors and fabrics. The style is effortless and it compliments the wearer's body rather than trying to constrict or change anything about it. The fabric falls along the wearer's natural form and it celebrates our natural beauty that comes through an air of ease and effortless chic.
Key pieces for Draft N17 SS10: Two tone circle tunic, double-layer jersey top, double sketch slip dress, bounded-shoulder chiffon tee, all circle styles (and get them in the craziest color you can imagine....or tolerate)
Collection continues to evolve in its own right, heading to the direction of femininity and softness. Compared to her past collections, this season we can continue to see a movement toward the women, someone who's soft and ladylike. The collection continues to employ luxurious fabric like silk chiffon, satin, and silk crepe. She also continued the use of interesting handmade fabrics, which is quickly becoming one of Shokrian's trademark. This season we see the use of a mesh like netting that gives way to strong shape, and a handmade patterned fabric that combines satin, charmeuse, and muslin (which is a motif continuing from the previous season), there is also a stunning cape/poncho made with gaze encased with chiffon, which gives the illusion of a print from far away. The shape varies from voluminous to tight and sculpted. One stand out detail is the slit like neckline from the black crepe oversize dress, which resembles a pillowcase when the wearer hold her arms up. All in all, this is a collection that is a continuous story from last season and it'll be interesting to see if Jasmin will take a new direction for the coming Fall presentation.
Key looks for Collection: Chiffon encased gaze circle poncho, black crepe pillowcase dress, black mesh netting open back dress w/ chiffon gaze flap, handmade pattern fabric circle poncho
Jasmin Shokrian: www.jasminshokrian.com
Changing the title
So I decided to change the title. Mostly because when I was deciding what to write, it always seems to be either tennis or fashion, so why not just focus on those two, there are plenty to write about those two categories, plus these two things comprise of my most of my extracurricular knowledge anyway.
So I hope that I can carry through with this and actually put something interesting in here. It'll probably be thoughts that I have on a particular player, incidents, match, tournament, or the latest fashion finds, style tips, aspirations, inspirations, or any thing that I see a particular person or friend should be wearing.
Bonne Journee!!
So I hope that I can carry through with this and actually put something interesting in here. It'll probably be thoughts that I have on a particular player, incidents, match, tournament, or the latest fashion finds, style tips, aspirations, inspirations, or any thing that I see a particular person or friend should be wearing.
Bonne Journee!!
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