Thursday, Jul 29, 2010
I'm making my photo and styling debut in Nylon Japan this month. I had such a fun time doing this photoshoot. Who knew I had such a bossy side? Mariah and Alanna were especially helpful in setting up and helping choose outfits! I also have to thank Scott and Jeff for their warm hospitality!
I met the Generic Youth team back in May at the Costa Mesa store. The designer, Jeff Yokoyama, is an apparel legend. He started Maui and Son in 1980 to great success and went on to create several more brands, along the way consulting for the likes of other action sports giants such as Quilksilver, Stussy. To say he is a hard-working man is an understatement and yet in person he is humble and very kind. His latest creative endeavor, Generic Youth, is a very hands-on brand which uses a lot of recycled fabrics and has a very special homegrown, handmade feel. I especially fell in love with the hoodies made out of used beach towels. They actually have an event every Wednesday at which you trade old beach towels for burgers. Its the kind of genuine neighborhood touch that is very hard to find in most brands. I wish Generic Youth the best of luck...not that they need any.
Thank you also to Minako and Riza at Nylon Japan!
Saturday, Jul 17, 2010
Hello everybody! I can't believe it's already the middle of July that means 2010 is more than half over. Are you checking off those New Year's resolutions? :-) I find this mid-point exciting; it fires me up knowing I don't have much time left til 2011. Each day is so important!
Anyways, enough with the small talk: I'm writing because the wonderful, adorable, multi-talented Friedia interviewed me for her webshow, eponymously named, Friedia Show! It was so much fun filming this and it turned out so great(much thanks to director, Sunny)! What more could I ask for? It's a perfect time capsule that I can show to my grandkids one day to prove that I too was once young(hehehe). :-)
Friday, Jun 11, 2010
hello lovely peoples,
I've been keeping an outfit diary of sorts since the beginning of October and I've been really enjoying documenting my sartorial choices. I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do with all the individual outfit drawings but I decided to do a monthly version of my diary. A loose collection of what I bought, did, saw, wore...you know, something light and fun. Hope you like the first installment.
love,
esther
Sunday, Jun 6, 2010
I really love the beginning of this show. I always wanted to dress like an androgynous boy but alas my build is not made for that look. I really like how Yohji pushes this idea of paring down clothes to something so simple and free. Its so modern to release the woman and allow her to be comfortable.
Currently that austere simplicity is not de rigueur, so to speak. The simplicity of those minimal looks in the nineties came to feel very sterile and cold after a while and so the pendulum swung and here we are having a bit of an ornate moment. I wish I could say this better but for lack of better words: right now I feel like people want to wear lots of special things. Things that have a history and a personal story. Clothing that is embroidered, patched, personalized, the more outrageous the better and there is a bit of an anything goes attitude; as long as you are committed to it. Homes are once again mini-museums with all sorts of relics and collections, the more the merrier. I remember struggling in the nineties to match the prevalent minimal aesthetic in design and fashion. Those who were old enough back then will remember Prada Sports, Gap black pants and matte lipstick. I did all of this very awkwardly. I'm more in sync with this post-modern haber-dashery we have now. But looking back more than a decade later I really appreciate what the designers were doing then. I really feel like Yohji is saying something here and there is something very powerful there that is missing from all the merely pretty things I see around me right now.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
My hawk-eyed and slightly petulant-looking(in this photo) friend, Chris, sent me this pic of my new illustration in the June issue of Nylon. Also thanks to:Kristin, Nicole and Mickey!!!
