Simon Birch: Hooligans

I always believed in being immersed in the world of art whether it's for being stylish or knowledgeable. Though unforgiving in terms of its exclusivity, art can be awfully enlightening and gives us time to appreciate 'visual poetry' in a world dominated by words. With fashion designers constantly taking reference from the art world, I always think it's better to stay ahead of time. Besides, who doesn't like a bit of air conditioning from the hot and humid summers in Hong Kong anyway?

This brings me to an exhibition I've been meaning to see for a long time at the Ben Brown Fine Arts gallery on Pedder Street. With his inaugural show in Hong Kong, the artist Simon Birch focused on the human figure with his well-known explosive brushwork and distinctive use of textured oil on canvas.

The people in the paintings aren't the hooligans however, as you may be thinking from the title, but is actually the invisible force suggesting the identity of the aggressor. It's this 'invisible force' that gives such dynamism to Birch's work, differentiating himself from other portrait artist's.

 

In some ways, the eruptive movement and somewhat distorted faces  in the paintings remind me of Francis Bacon's infamous portraits. With both artists delivering a strong message through their work, it's great to see how aggression reflects a tension between the inner self and the outer world - especially in a adrenaline-fuelled city like Hong Kong.

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Hooligan: New Paintings by Simon Birch

11 April 2013 - 15 May 2013

Ben Brown Fine Arts
301 Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street Central Hong Kong
+852 2522 9600 www.benbrownfinearts.com Monday-Saturday, 11AM - 7PM 

Lamma Island Photoshoot with Louie Wada

As promised, here's the complete photo shoot with Louie Wada from Rock'n Couture. I have to say I'm quite pleased with how the shoot turned out especially when we were lucky enough to have the Sun with us that day. Though I must've gotten a thousand mosquito bites from Lamma Island, all that scratching was definitely worth it. Scroll down below for the pics!

      

CLOT x RIVIERAS Launch Party

They look awesome right?

Having been featured in Hypebeast already must mean one thing: it's a big deal. Coming from Hong Kong, CLOT is a local brand that sells lifestyle goods and its own line created by founders Edison Chen and Kevin Poon. With their focus on youth and urban culture, their products appeal to many with a growing number of fans as you can see on their Facebook page.

Named the "Coupé Sport" collection, both sides interpreted the suave looking coupé's along the Riveria coast in the 60s into a footwear collection fit for summer. Made with a combination of textiles, the elastic sides ensure a comfortable fit while giving a pop of colour with their unique duo tone motif.

A quick shoutout to the other fashion bloggers (Jin, Louie, Adeline, Cindie, Emily, Sybil and Vanessa) who were with me that night!

Scroll below for the pics!

Stylish duo Jin and Cindie

 The fashion crew from left: Cindie, Adeline, Jin, Sybil, Me

OOTD: Summer 101

Watch from Swatch || Everything else from H&M

H&M is a gem for these 'summer' looking clothes with mid season sales that almost pop up around town every week. One of my favourite items from this outfit is the transparent watch with coloured dials from Swatch. The pastel tee and thin cotton shirt is a must have for any guys' summer wardrobe.

I was also quite lucky to have been invited to Louie Wada's turf on Lamma Island. The garden looked amazing and being one keen on getting the 'summer look', I picked it for my lookbook shot with her laundry hanging at the back. And then there's the lighting which could make or break a photo shoot. Today was the former fortunately.

But you must think I'm crazy to go to Lamma just for my lookbook. Of course, that wasn't the case. Louie had been asked to feature in an online publication and she needed a photographer so I got to fill in that space. The results are amazing but I'll be posting them at a later date.

I've got a little teaser though... Click below the jump to find out!

Oh and here's a quick song for what was an amazing (-ly hot) day!

Prints & Transparencies

From top: Peter Pilotto crop top jacket (Net-a-Porter) // Saint Laurent leather trousers (My Theresa)// Christian Louboutin neon patent leather and PVC pumps (Net-a-Porter)// Reed Krakoff gold, silver and gunmetal-plated ring (Net-a-Porter)// Alexander Mcqueen De Manta leather clutch (Net-a-Porter)

Peter Pilotto has always been one to watch with his masterful use of prints. Spice up your wardrobe with an eye catching crop top jacket and a pair of leather trousers from Saint Laurent. Of course, spring cannot be what it is without a splash of neon. With transparent clutches being all the craze in fashion, how can one resist the Louboutin pumps that is both neon and transparent at the same time? Toughen up the look by accessorising it with a gold, silver and gunmetal-plated ring from Reed Krakoff and you'll be more than ready for a night out in town.

Mixtape Monday's: Protect Me From What I Want

As promised, here's the playlist I compiled (mainly for myself) to last the week before I have my final review next Monday. It's a good mix of stuff from several artists who just released their albums. Cold War Kids have a good one on their hands so I guess it'll be my study jam for the week. Here's to not sleeping!

OOTD: Take A Walk

I wanted to wear this cardigan ages ago and I thought I'd have to wait for winter to come again. Thankfully, the weather somehow cooled off a bit and today was my last chance. I wasn't expecting to end up looking like a smurf but then the outfit worked so I just went with it. Nic and I found a nice looking door which was the perfect shade to match my outfit. Hope the weather warms up again later this week. I bought some new stuff from H&M and I can't wait to share it with you guys. Meanwhile, I've got a music playlist that I'll post tomorrow so stay tuned!