So here’s a bit of a throwback for you guys, a friend of mine recently acquired a new lens for her camera and she had asked me to be her test subject and to give her some pointers. Since i’m so nice and awesome, I obviously said yes (haha).
Here’s some of the shots! Enjoy!
Pocket Square is by Sebastian Cruz Couture
Socks are by Wits and Beaux
Shoes are by Allen Edmonds
Jacket by H&M
Watch was purchased on Ebay, it was a refurbished vintage watch!
“It’s a shoe that’s older than we are, but it remains handsome and relevant to this day. In 1987, Nike released the Air Max 1 – a piece of groundbreaking design, which, for the first time, gave consumers a view of the Air Sole unit that underpinned the comfort and performance of designer Tinker Hatfield’s celebrated Nike Airs. Yup, this was the birth of ‘visible air’, inspired by the architecture of Paris’ Pompidou Centre – a building that looks like it’s been sprung inside out, boasting inner workings that are visible through its exterior.” – from Asos.com
So here’s the inspiration
I just find it amazing how one architectural design influence another now iconic shoe design. The Air Max line of shoes by Nike has got to be one of the most reinvented sneaker line that I know of along with Chucks which is also owned by Nike.
With this being said, here’s a photo of my own Nike Air Max
Ain’t it so cool? Haha!
Now here are some of the ones that I like from the world of Instagram
As you can see, the influence alone of these shoes transcends gender and age! From the most muted designs to the brightest of colours even the use of different materials such as Cork! Nike Air Max has come a long way!
How about you, do you own a pair? Share your photo on the comments!
So here’s the part two which is the last instalment of a collaborative article with my fellow fashion writer Samantha from Obsessive Trend Invitation and if you haven’t seen the part one yet just click here. To see my answers to the same questions just go to her site here.
I am a hugeeeeee RomCom fanatic and because of that, my ideas of first dates sometime get inspired by what I see on the telly. I blame Disney for crushing all my unrealistic dreams of having dinner on a boat in the sea with floating lanterns, yes Tangled I blame you.
I love anything that doesn’t just involve two people staring at each other. I want to do activities, whether its drawing, or riding a bike (even though I don’t know how to) or going to the PNE, I feel like the best way to know somebody and to be comfortable is by having fun and not putting pressure on having to talk the entire time.
From a psychology perspective, I recommend going somewhere that gets your heart racing and blood pumping because that just makes you that more attractive! Capilano Suspension Bridge anybody?
I think the term should be rephrased to Single APPRECIATION Day. So instead of being down in the dumps about not receiving flowers or chocolates, go buy yourself flowers and chocolates and celebrate the person you are. Make it a day to spend with your family and friends, or even a special day to pamper yourself.
Open Mindedness for sure- You don’t have to believe the things I do, but have the willingness to understand it and be open to have a discussion about it
Laughter– I love making a fool of myself and it exudes confidence when someone is able to be silly and appreciate a good joke.
Joy– Waking up every morning, you want to be surrounded by people who make you feel positive about yourself, and the world around you, so definitely someone who can make you smile during the darkest days.
OK I’m going to say constantly being on their cellphones BUT this is a grey area, and many will call me a hypocrite but there is a very fine line between not being in the moment, and APPRECIATING the moment. And as you read this, bear in mind that this is coming from someone who works in media *big laughs*
I am someone who is on her phone ALOT, and my reasoning for being on my cellphone during dates is this- IT’S SO GREAT I NEED TO MAKE MEMORIES. I mean, who else is going to take all the photos for you? And as I type this I already feel the virtual disapproving looks all around.
The thing is, when you date a busy individual, especially one who works in social media, the importance of online presence and being on top of things is important. For me to be present, I need to clear my head of all prior commitments that still go on 24/7; so for some of us ladies, it doesn’t mean we’re bored or aren’t present, it just means that we need mini breaks to clear our heads from all the beeping sounds erupting from our phones. You wouldn’t want me to be guessing who sent me an email while we’re watching the sunset right?
BUT, when and if you are ALWAYS on your phone, and totally unattached to conversations, or when you’re on the phone while having an important conversation, that can be a great turn off.
So the point of my lonnnnnggggg rant IS, — I should probably learn to turn off my phone during a date haha.
As we all go through our busy lives, day-by-day we sometimes forget that how we dress up can also affect the people around us. If you dress yourself up with clothing that says profanity on it, you know you could offend some people. You have this strong influence in others to either offend or inspire, so what would you choose? There are clothes that are made from recycled materials and which help provide jobs for poor families in third world countries. These companies spread positivity and help the good cause. With this being said I’m very happy to say that i’ve been given a chance to collaborate with a company that does something similar.
When I got my package here’s what I got:
It’s awesome that even on this digital age, you actually still get a handwritten letter from the owner of the company. It makes me feel all warm inside and actually getting a thank you for helping spread positivity!
I choose this slogan because it hits me close to my heart. I like to think that I will always have this little kid in me and that will never go away no matter how old I get. I also like to think that we all are actually cool kids. No discrimination, just love for everyone.
Here’s an excerpt from the “about” section of their website and I truly think the message is awesomely positive!
“Hi, my name is Vaiana. My story and my brand revolve around something seemingly benign but actually powerful: words.
My life started on the island of Tahiti. It was a beautiful place, but I had to endure harsh words in my own home that often led to violence and abuse. As a student, words were central to all my studies, as I eventually earned degrees in language, law and international relations. As a mother I became even more aware of how words on the playground, in the mall, on the bus, on TV and even in schools can bombard our kids with toxic ideas. I also learned how comforting kind words can be for a suffering child.
The trigger for Le Motto happened when I noticed a girl at Disney World with a t-shirt that said, “I want to be like Barbie because this b*tch has everything”. Really?!
Hey, I’m not trying to tell you what words you have to wear, but I am definitely giving you a positive alternative: meaningful words that point us in the right direction.
I create clothing that “speaks” to people whenever and wherever they see it. I believe the words on your favorite “statement tee” should be able to make a stranger flip a negative attitude to a positive one and pay it forward. The best statement tee should make strangers come up to you and say, “I love your shirt! Thanks for wearing it. You just made my day!” It works – just try it! Who doesn’t want to be a billboard for good vibes in a world that can sometimes be ugly?
Which brings me back to my roots. Words hurt me in my childhood. Today, they galvanize my desire to inspire people. Words do have power, and Le Motto is a way to share good messages with the world.
Words must be followed by actions too. Change the world, one word at a time…and don’t stop there. When people purchase Le Motto apparel, we donate some of the profits to causes that help kids who are suffering from violent circumstances. Our current focus is helping fund programs that confront aggression in the form of bullying helping “The Bully Project” that educate over 1 million parents, teachers, kids and entire communities to deal with bullying.”
So finally here are some photos of me rocking the shirt!
So always remember, what you wear could make a difference. You can choose to influence people in a positive way just by even wearing a t-shirt!
If you would like to find out where I got this shirt from you can check out the LeMotto Site.
I would also like to thank my friend Cyrus Wu for taking photos of me wearing the shirt.
So fall is now here and there’s no escaping it. Cold weather is upon us bit if you are not in the mood to wear a big overcoat just quite yet and want to stick to just wearing your suit jacket, adding a vest usually does the job. It helps with keeping you warm without adding much bulk to your outfit. It doesn’t hurt either that having a 3 piece suit outfit looks classy. When you’re outside you’ll be warm enough and if you’re indoors and find that it’s a bit hot, then you can just take out your jacket and still look styling with your vest. Never forget one of my favourite accessory to any outfit as well, the socks!
This line is often uttered by women “bad hair day” but us guys have it as well. I encounter it more often than not especially when I haven’t gone to the barbers for a while and my curly hair gets way too unruly. Here’s the quickest and most often used trick to compensate for the dreaded bad hair day, wear a hat! If you want to do it in style though, you can’t just wear any snapback or hat, you want to add some flare to it so why not use a fedora?
This whole outfit was inspired by the first fedora I could get my hands on in my room (lazy, I know, but I like to live dangerously). I slowly worked my way down which led me to my trusty black v-neck shirt (you could never go wrong with a plain v-neck). Black leather belt with a nice simple metallic accent from Danier Leather and black pants from Zara. I shortly realized that I was just wearing all black and someone might think i’m going to someone’s funeral or I turned gothic all of a sudden (nothing wrong with goths and nothing wrong with all black, but It’s still sunny and I still want some color also so how do I make up for it? Socks!!! I gotta have some fun and add color to this ensemble so I went with a puzzle patterned sock and partnered it with some classic style Cole-Haans. To tie-up the whole outfit together, I added one of my favorite suit jacket from Sisley. I just love how it adds some “umph” to the simple yet strong ensemble I have put together.
As you can see from the last photo, my hair was a mess, haha, but it’s ok since I have my fedora 😉
Here’s the round up for the items used in this outfit
So always remember, it’s not the end of the day if your hair isn’t cooperating or you’re too lazy to fix your hair, you can always style it up with a fedora.
Everyone’s A Model
Sometimes you just want to wear something that’s loud and basically stand out without being “too much”. Here’s one that I find that works well. Pick one element of your outfit that has big prints or pattern, in this case I chose a sweater that has stars all over it. The rest of the pieces just fell in place. I chose a black cap to match the color of the stars on my sweater and paired it up with some bright red pants to go along with the bright and loud theme. While we’re at it throw in some red suede shoes and match it with a comics themed pair of socks by Punisher. As I always say, its all in the details. (Details do go a long way) As for the watch, can’t go wrong with a G-Shock to go along with the black and red theme.
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Always Remember,
Everyone’s A Model
So I went to the beach with a friend yesterday (April 9, 2014) to just hang out and enjoy the nice RARE spring weather that Vancouver has blessed us. I had no intention of taking photos of people and just wanted to take some nice scenery shots and maybe some timelapse photography. I was sitting on the grass and had my tripod set up for my phone for some timelapse when I noticed a couple sitting on a bench shouting out peoples’ names while they were walking pass by them. I quickly realized that the couple we’re trying to play a “guess the name game” with others.
So the next logical thing was to get involved, LOL. My friend decided to ask them if they wanted to guess our names. So one thing led to another and it was GAME ON! They tried to guess our names and we tried to guess theirs. I actually managed to guess one of their names and they couldn’t guess ours. (I guess i’m psychic!)
After I have guess Kyle’s name (the guy on the right) they both decided to shake my hand.
We all started to talk with one another and shared stories and our backgrounds. His name was Kyle and her name was Kylie, a very cute and energetic couple. It’s hard not to get infected by their super friendly nature. After our conversation my friend suggested that I should take some couples photos of them and send it to their e-mail and I obliged. They we’re a good sport and we just decided to do a very quick shoot by the sand.
So here they are…
What a very lovely couple and I wish them all the best in their future. They find joy in the simplest things and make the best out of every situation, even as simple as guessing people’s names on the beach. Their photos could easily be used in a lifestyle magazine showing how people should be living and just having fun.
Everyone’s A Model
Cheers to seeing old friends and feeling like nothing has changed at all. Iris has been a long time friend of mine since my high school days, has been on hiatus for a while and a really close friend of mine bumped into her while she was on a vacation in Asia. (Very small world) Its scary, haha!
Anyway, going back to the topic of “everyone’s a model” I mentioned the idea to her and she was very excited about the idea and we decided to give it a go. The shoot was quite last minute and we both can’t decide on how I would shoot her and where. Thanks to the unpredictable Vancouver weather, it started snowing in the middle of the shoot and light suddenly became dark. We were both freezing our asses of, trying to keep it cool (literally and figuratively). Iris suggested a park near her place and that’s where we went.
So here are some of the shots!
She really wanted a photo with the swing and might I say it turned out pretty darn well.
Candid smiling shot, did someone fart? LOL!!!
Staring into somewhere, can make a great stock photo.
Last two photos could be used for an advert for boots.
So as you can see, this was a last minute shoot, nothing really planned, weather was against us and we still managed to pull off some amazing photos!
Everyone’s A Model
Jiwon and Ryan
Now here’s the lovely newlyweds of just over a year. They have their cute dog named Ritchie who’s very hyper and who greeted me right away when I entered the couple’s home.
It was very clear that they love their dog a lot, they couldn’t stop playing with Ritchie while we were doing our shoot. I didn’t mind it at all as well as it made them feel comfortable while I was taking their photos. Jiwon actually mentioned to me that this photoshoot session reminded her of their wedding photos. They got it done in Korea and got over 2,000 photos taken. She even said “our eyelids we’re twitching at the end of it because we were trying to smile the whole time” and I just responded with a laugh. I told her that the life of a model isn’t actually easy, they make it look easy and comfortable but it does take a lot of skill and she agreed.
After a while, I got the couple to feel a bit more comfortable and got a few snaps of them smiling and not worrying too much about the camera in front of them. I was getting much more organic photos and you can probably tell from the photos as well.
And here comes the money shot of the couple. Both laughing and smiling while playing with their tablets. I couldn’t quite remember what we were talking about and why they we’re laughing but you can tell that it was a good one.
These set of photos could possibly be used in a lifestyle magazine or in a catalogue like IKEA. Regular couple who have no experience in modeling yet the results show that it can be done.
Everyone’s A Model
everyonesamodel.com 