Menswear at Seoul Fashion Week S/S 2018

This Spring/Summer season, fashion fanatics took to Dongdaemun Design Plaza to be part of the fashion week craze! I flew with the Goldfish TV team to explore the latest street-wear trends, specifically menswear. This is what I found out.

Korea has always been known for their experimental streetwear, unique sense of individual style and outlandish street mixed with high fashion pieces. Once again the Koreans did not disappoint and showed why they’ve been a popular fashion destination, and once again driving the streetwear trends forward. This season, I’ve noticed that blazers were back in trend. What pushed this was the recent lines from Balenciaga, Raf Simons etc.. ( 2017 Fall/Winter line and Spring/Summer 2018 ) where they showcased oversized blazers with very structured shoulders, and many fashionistas styled their blazers in very unique ways.

 

I’ve seen people wear the most hyped sneaker this season, the Balenciaga Triple S Sneaker! It seems to be that chunky sneakers are now the trend and a statement piece.

Also belts are still in as an accessory, and it’s been styled in many different ways such as wrapping it around an over-coat ( Much like the Raf Simons 2017/2018 Autumn/ Winter line ), and overcoats has proven to be a timeless piece and this season, it has been prominent as ever.

Korea never fails to surprise the World with their experimental style and trend driven fashion, these are only a few of many trends. I can’t wait to see what Korea has to offer next season!

Overcoat ( Balenciaga 2017/2018 )

Office Look ( Balenciaga 2017/ 2018 )

Unique silhouette ( Balenciaga 2017/2018 )

Blazer styling ( Balenciaga 2017/ 2018 )

Unique silhouette ( Balenciaga 2017/2018 )

Cropped Sweater ( Raf Simons A/W 2017/2018 )

Cropped Sweater ( Raf Simons A/W 2017/ 2018 )

The Goldfish TV CEO being stylish

Unique Silhouette (http://bit.ly/itsokiwontkillmyself)

With https://www.instagram.com/jaiperdumaveste/

My younger brother with that XXXTENTACION hair

https://www.instagram.com/mesha__6/https://www.instagram.com/mesha__6/

Belt as an accessory

Genderless Fashion

Nyotaimori “Naked” Sushi Experience

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Nyotaimori is often referred to as “body sushi”, or with direct translation of the Japanese word 女体盛りwhich means “serve (foods) on the female body”. This is the Japanese practice of serving sashimi or sushi from the naked body of a woman.

This practice is said to have origins in the samurai period in Japan, which was a subculture to the “Geishas”  (traditional Japanese female entertainers who act as hostesses) and was a form of celebration after a victorious battle. Though in present time Nyotaimori is performed as an art form, it has been described as decadent, humiliating, cruel and objectifying, but seeing the act first hand and talking to these performers gave me a very different opinion on the whole practice.

Coming to the event I honestly didn’t know what to expect, I’ve never even heard of the practice prior to all of this. At first thought, the idea seemed bizarre, and the idea wasn’t comfortable to me.

Also this was the first ever “Nyotaimori ” performed in Hong Kong, and luckily we were invited by our friends at Mahka (A store located at the heart of Sheung Wan, the booming Art district of Hong Kong). The owners of Mahka are highly collaborative, especially in the Art scene here in Hong Kong so props to them!

 

The perception of sexuality in Japan is a sensitive topic, in a city very busy and continuously moving forward at a fast pace people tend to lose individualism and just flock amongst the sheep of society. The idea about being naked as a form of Art may be a taboo to many Japanese people, but with the rising women power and more acceptance in society it allows this niche art forms to blossom.

The experience was very spiritual and intimate, the store was decorated in a way that made the whole experience feel like a ritual. There were candles lit which really set the mood, and it had a very relaxed atmosphere. It didn’t feel as if it was something sexual but rather something that appreciates beauty and empowers women.

There were 3 performers in total, 2 to help decorate the main artist, while she lay on the table. But before that the main artist was dressed in a robe and you could barely see her face, she wore beautiful accessories and she danced to the music and was in total sync with it. As she approached the table she stood on a stool and let her robe drop, she wasn’t fully naked but her breasts had pasties and she wore a highly decorated underwear, which to me really portrayed the the strength of the woman’s body and how confident she felt in her own skin. As she lay down the table, you can sense the sheer concentration as she closes her eyes and does not flitch while her companions started decorating her with sushi and other ornaments. After the decorating ended, we were allowed to pick and eat sushi off of her body, and this to me was sort of odd at first but to be completely honest it was a very thrilling experience.

After the show it really changed my perception on nude Art, specially on women. As an Art Form you learn to appreciate it rather than just take it for face value, these artists are passionate of their craft and instead of perceiving it as an act of sexualisation see it as a way to empower women and show their strength. We need to support individualism, thats the only way we can live in unity.

Photo credits to Luna: @clarysalunataran

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guess x Asap Rocky pop up

Asap Rocky is back with a new collection with Guess this summer 2017. The whole collection draws inspiration from the Guess archives, having a very 80’s-90’s vibe with their garments. The whole capsule was dubbed “Ice Cream and Cotton Candy”, and this is very present on the colours of the apparel, using predominantly pastel and also the theme of the whole pop up being colourful, fun and very 80’s/ 90’s vibe. ( Having boomboxes, arcade style installations from the Golden age etc.. ). And yes they did serve Ice cream and Cotton Candy!

Hong Kong’s very own street-wear boutique Juice hosted this pop-up for the public, the event itself was very appealing, though the turn out wouldn’t be as hyped as your usually drops ( Like the “Yeezy”, and the very recent “Vlone” pop up ) it was more relaxed and definitely not many resellers trampling each other. What I really liked about the event was that it was open to the public, meaning you need not be on the guest-list, fashion enthusiast alike, or people who enjoys music and free food and even passer by’s can all be part of the fun! Speaking of fun, the event did not upset at all. Think about it, it’s a free event, that serves food, plays live music and most importantly they have BOOZE! Only God knows how many underage alcoholics were in the vicinity, how many diabetic people were in there hoarding the cotton candy, ice cream and overly sweet lemonade screaming “DIE FUCKING DIABETICS!”. But no one cares about that, lets talk about the clothes and the event! 

Last year/ Different price ( retailed for around $49 USD now $69 USD )

Same shit as the picture up there ^

 

30% torso 70% legs

For them curvy thots

Guess hickey hider

 

Crop top to make your belly pop

 

 

If a girl wears bell bottoms, I will hump her bottom!

 

If you worked at a Hippie farm

Girls do not wear this on a 1 night stand, shit is too hard to un-button

The line this summer season was predominantly catering to women, items such as crop tops, crop top mock necks, denim skirts, cotton dresses, bell bottoms and dungarees, Although some of the items like shirts and dungarees could be unisex. Also they re-released some of the older pieces from last years collection, such as the grey striped tee / navy striped tee and the regular Guess x Asap Rocky logo tee in black and white. The fit is boxy as per usual, though I did not cop anything myself, during the event there were a lot of people lining up to get theirs!

Overall the event was very fun and lively, and very nostalgic. The whole set up of the store did a great job on setting the vibe and sort of invites you to the past! Big ups on the props used, and the photo-booth for making the whole environment welcoming and fun! Definitely wish there were more pop ups like these and where the Juice Store employees ain’t acting like dicks lmao this aint a Supreme store bitch! Also shouts out to the two guys who were staring at me saying I’m Ho-Yee Li, Ya all made my day!

Instagram @joshuaserote

Lil Slime from ACOG records

Im sorry I needed your picture for the blog

Mood 24/7 you get instant pussy if you cop the new GUE$$

Underage alcoholics

Old phone, who this?

His shirt says it all, “You’re next baby!”

80’s-90’s vibes very present

He totally bought the dress instead of the shirt

Suki ❤

 

Adrianne Ho ❤

The whole set up was Lit

The “am I even a DJ” look

Adrianne Ho

Vibes

Adrianne Ho catching up with old friends

I really don’t know why this random is taking a picture with Florenz?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My opinion on this Vetement hoodie

Vetements has been the talk of street-wear forums, magazines, websites and different fashion groups for the longest time now. It has been titled the “It” brand, one of the most popular if not the most popular in the last 2 years. The whole brand itself is very experimental and collaborative, and due to adding something new on the table it has blown up to be the most popular brand of present date and has captured a cult following of fashion enthusiast and fuckbois.

So lets get down and dirty, do I think the price for this Hoodie is worth it?

No. Obviously not. You’re basically paying for the name, though the hoodie is made out of very thick cotton, would you really pay over a $1000 USD for a hoodie? Unless you want to flex and you’re balling that way then fine. But also these types of garments are in high demand, so sometimes buying these branded clothing can allow you to earn even more money depending on how cheap you buy it for and comparing it to the market value ( Resell value ). So I guess it’s a win win, you can post pictures of you flaunting Vetement, have a few babes hit your dm’s, probably get some B grade nudes. If you’re lucky enough you could probably wear this to a club, have a street-wear babe notice, head to an alley-way and you know what happens next.

At the end of the day It’s just clothes, buy what you like, for whatever reason it may be. If it suits your budget why not, you can always make money selling them to some fuckboi or thot overseas.

 

Outfit

Hat- Custom

Hoodie- Vetements

Shirt underneath – Vetements

Pants – track pants

Shoes -Y3 Qasa

Instagram @whoserote

Photo by @joshuaserote

 

 

 

Portraits in Nami Island

To be completely honest, Nami Island has got to be my favourite place/location in terms of photography during my whole week in Korea. This is due to the scale of the whole place, it was huge and also it was surrounded by trees which is something I don’t see back at my home in Hong Kong. It was literally a forrest with a lake, like how amazing is that?! The whole ambience of the place was also a major factor on why I loved shooting there, It had a very deep and emotional vibe to it and also due to the colours of the autumn leaves which really played a huge role, and also the weather was perfect. 

What really drew me to the place was the different shades of colours the trees and leaves had, the contrast of the different colours were in some sort of way harmonised together perfectly. During the shoot, I came to realise how the outcome of the pictures had a very mysterious feel to them, sort of in a way that gave the image that we were lost in the woods as opposed to being in a tourist spot. I would definitely revisit Nami Island with the purpose of taking pictures, and I highly recommend it! 

Seoul Fashion Week Day 3 ( Featured in Vogue UK )

Going in on the 3rd day of fashion week, not going to lie I was quite drained from the past few days, and the excessive hours I spent before my bed time using my phone really makes me want to just stay and sleep in, ( Texting Bae )

The inspiration behind this outfit was just to be the complete opposite colour as one of my friends who wore all black ( You might know him as Loha on my previous blogs, and yes I’m his stylist ). So the plan was for us to be together at all times and maybe that way we would be an interesting couple, enough to have photographers take a few pictures of us. ( The thirst for features is real! ). So let me break-down my whole outfit for you guys.

I am wearing a white mock neck and over that I am wearing a vintage tee ( I didn’t know the print was some African President ). To top that off I wore a pink Denim Jacket which I added a few patches from an old HBA sweater and I added a pin of Ai Wei Wei ( The controversy of him missing in China ). I wore a cream track pant with navy detailing, which has been the trend as of late. For sneakers I wore my custom Vetements looking ass sneakers. ( Who in the right mind would spend $7000 HKD, like come on ). As for accessories I wore an Off White belt as a choker, and what I’ve realised is that a lot of people during fashion week wore their Off-White belts in multiple ways. Some wore it over their coats, as chokers, arm bands, over their thighs and some more weird variety. Lastly I wore the Kurt Cobain shades ( I don’t know the real model fuck ).

Vogue UK – Photography by Emily Malan

This was the same day I got approached by photographers from GQ Spain, Highsnobiety and Fashion Photographers from all over. But guess what? I didn’t expect that a photographer from Vogue U.K. actually took a picture of me! And better went I’m on their issue on Seoul Fashion Week Street Style! ( http://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/seoul-fashion-week-street-style-2017 ) ( I am on Slide 21! )

So at the end of the day I got more than I expected! Thank you vogue for taking my picture, does that land me a job now?

Seoul Fashion Week Outfit 2, Styling Loha Sharif ( Street-wear )

NSS magazine – Photo by Eva Losada

Highsnobiety Seoul Fashion Week – Photography by Kam Dhillon

This has got to be my favourite outfit out of all the days of styling him to be honest. With his height and stature I knew that I could style him in a way that would appeal to everyone, also street-wear can resonate to almost everyone who is into fashion which is in our favour.

I wanted to style him in a way where he will look trendy, cool yet casual. Oversized bomber jackets has been one of the hottest trends this year, made very famous by Vetements. So we had a a bomber with the similar aesthetic and look and to be honest without the branding and word detailing people can mistake it as Vetements as the both are almost identical. It is super oversized, the arms is elongated and it had a very baggy look where it sorts of gives the outfit a top-heavy look where the legs look very slim. It has this very eye catching shade of purple which many brands use, and it has a hoodie as well which is a nice detailing in my opinion, it keeps the whole attire very casual and street. The hat was a custom of mine, and on-top of that I added a gold tinted sun glasses.

Under the jacket he wore a black mock neck, and as for pants he wore the dark blue pinstripe trousers with red detailing . I had him tuck the mock neck to have an overall cleaner look. As for sneakers he wore the Yeezy Season 3 military boots which I had him tuck his trousers in which sort of gave the whole outfit a very modern military look. This is the same exact day when Highsnobiety took our pictures, and this is the same outfit I styled that got my friend featured in this years Highsnobiety Seoul Fashion Week 2017 issue ( http://www.highsnobiety.com/2017/04/04/seoul-fashion-week-fw17-street-style/#slide-5 ) ( Image number 5 ). Also having us on NSS magazine (http://www.nssmag.com/en/reportage/10788/seoul-fashion-week-fw17-part-1/image:93668 ) ( Image Number 4 ) And a local Korean news Arirang (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koHNY02OKco ) ( At 2:40 ).

Overall this was the day we got a lot of attention, just by walking in the main area of Dongdaemun Design Plaza, photographers swarmed us, It was honestly a surreal experience. I honestly didn’t expect to get that much attention but I’m grateful for it. I’m guessing we looked very different and going there as a group helped a lot as all of us had our own personal style. We stood out just by our ethnicity as well. All in all this day was definitely my favourite, not only because we were swarmed by these big names, but also because we made so many new friends who we still keep in touch with today. I felt like my hunger for creativity was met during this day, cause living in Hong Kong people in my opinion ( don’t be butt hurt ) are so segregated, in a way that diminishes their overall creativity or chance to blossom. Also due to the huge pop culture scene here in Korea, I feel like thats the big difference as to why people are more collaborative and have a wider channel to broadcast their creative work whether be fashion or music etc..

Well in terms of styling my friend I think I did a very good job, look where his picture is right now? Told you so.

Seoul Fashion Week 2017 (Outfit 1/ Experience)

Going in on the 1st day of Seoul Fashion Week I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I’ve been planning to go to Seoul Fashion Week for a year now, and actually getting the chance to was a very surreal experience. Just landing in Korea was already a very nerve racking, or maybe it was the fact that I landed safely cause the plane had major turbulence ( Fuck you whoever the pilot was, fucking amateur! ). Okay let’s not get side tracked here and start ranting about how the pilot seemed like he was blind!

My outfit here was heavily inspired by street-wear, with a splash of my own personal style. I’ll go through my outfit from top to bottom. I’m wearing a vintage cycling shades on my head, I thought that it gave a very aesthetic silhouette due to its shape and color. For my top I’m wearing infamous Raf Simons Tie-Dye Tee, under that I’m wearing a white mock neck, over it I’m wearing a light pink denim jacket and to finish it off I am wearing a basic raincoat. As for bottoms I’m wearing a white track pant which is very in season and on trend, I chose the color white because I thought it matched well with the whole light color scheme of  what I’m wearing on top. As for my sneakers I’m wearing a custom Reebok pump heavily inspired by Vetements. I bought a pair of all white pumps and literally had my younger brother and a bunch of friends scribble and doodle on it, this was inspired by the Reebook x Vetements that’s been so trendy. But lets come clean who would pay $7000 HKD for those. As for accessories, I’m wearing a custom chain over my neck and earrings which I attached a cross on one ear and multiple safety pins on the other, and a black mask to hide my hideous face and stay away from ruining anyone’s day.

My Experience

I was honestly antsy and quite nervous, I knew Korea was known for its very experimental style and I felt like I had to style myself in a way that it would interest photographers. I honestly did not know what to expect and for one my friends and I had a hard time finding the location to begin with ( Typical tourists ).  Shout out to Google maps one time! When we got to the venue, there were photographers just on standby which kind of got me nervous, because I’m more used to taking pictures of other people and now the roles are flipped and honestly I felt like shitting my pants. Once we started walking towards the main area we were swarmed by photographers ( Thank god I was wearing a mask to hide my awkward ass, Smigul from Lord of the Rings looking ass face ). It was unreal, but what I realized was we were the only ones who socialized with the photographers after we got our pictures taken, as opposed to many others who just leave afterwards. I feel like the connections and new relationship we made is what made the experience memorable.

All pictures taken by Jamie Serote – Instagram ( @j_am.ie )

Seoul Fashion Week Look 1 ( Styling Loha Sharif )

Going into this trip I was obliged to be responsible on how I would style him, to style him in a way that would grab photographers attention and hopefully get some nice features on any media outlets. We shopped before the trip, and the plan was to buy pieces that he could wear with multiple outfit ideas, we bought some basics but also some of the more loud pieces with very bright colors. The alternative plan was if we ever ran out of clothes to wear we would borrow each others clothes and just mix and match ( There were a total of 4 guys and 1 girl ) so going into Fashion Week we weren’t that worried of running out of outfits.
So during day 1 of Seoul fashion week I planned to style him in a very old meets new type of way. Where old classic looks meets the new urban style with a twist. The main piece was the black blazer with a chest patch that I thought was very reminiscent to how students had their blazers in the 50’s. How they had a badge of their school, it has a very vintage feel to it and I added a chain just to add these small details that can change an old look to a more modern aesthetic. Under that I made him wear a maroon mock neck ( the mock neck is like a turtle neck on steroids, and has been trendy as of late ). I thought the maroon made the whole outfit pop, having a different color as opposed to an all black outfit grabs more attention in my opinion and it really made went well with the whole outfit. As for bottoms I have him wear a dark blue pinstripe trousers with red detailing. The trousers were baggy, and it went well with the whole aesthetic of the 50’s and as for shoes I have him wear a classic black leather wing tip. As for accessories he had the very trendy white shades ( Just like what Kurt Cobain wore ) and I have him wear it over his head.

All pictures by Jamie Serote – Instagram @j_am.ie

Woman power “Mean Gurls Club” at club XXX

The status of women has always been a controversial topic, but in recent years the status and power of women has been increasingly more prominent and is defying gender roles, breaking boundaries and eliminating the cultural norm and stigma.Hip Hop is a scene where masculinity plays a big role and most of the main stream artists are all males, though some artist may have broken the barrier between sexes in the industry ( in the western world ), being in Hong Kong where taboos and social norms plays a big role on how society will perceive you.

The event was hosted by a female Dj and the full line-up were all female’s as well which was very interesting, and was the main reason i was so drawn and ecstatic to participate. I was curious on how the crowd will receive this, but in my honest opinion good music has no gender, its an outlet where everyone can vibe with no matter your background, age, gender, where nothing is judged.

The event had a very “at home” almost like a house party slash frat party vibe to it ( there were sofas, chairs and even a table tennis set complete with the racket and ball ), and also it was a byob ( bring your own beer, which honestly didn’t matter what you brought with you, it could range from milk to weed for all they care! ). Also the use of pink balloons really portrayed a feminine yet very “badass” and “aesthetic” ambience and decor in my point of view and i was genuinely digging it. The crowd stood out to me as it consisted of many foreigners as well as locals, many different age groups ( There was even this Korean guy who is about 50 years old, I swear he had whitening hair ) and styles, which to me is the way Hip-Hop brings everyone together and to see it live and first hand was definitely a sight to see.

The overall performance was great, and since they played Hip-Hop and mixes i never heard of it was a refreshing experience being away from the never ending EDM loop you would be continuously hearing in major party districts like Lan Kwai Fong. Also I’ve noticed that there were a lot of gay men and women in the vicinity yet no one felt uncomfortable, it was bizarre nonetheless but it seemed that they were accepted in the area, in fact everyone seemed to have a great time and the environment sort of rubs into everyone in it. It really shows a bright change in Hong Kong’s conservative landscape where women can lead events and gay men and women are treated as a norm.

I highly recommend you guys going to underground events, stay posted on your social media and try out new venues. It’s not just for the euphoric feeling during a party, the sense of the event having meaning and what it tries to portray is something we should acknowledge. Everything has a deeper meaning and once we understand that it really opens your mind and leaves you a broader mindset. I believe these events are giving these women a chance to showcase their talents and proves that there are no more gender roles, and that hard-work and passion knows no gender, race or what your backgrounds may be!

Going home after this event has really left me questioning my gender. I am now planning a sex change! ( Please understand that it is a joke lol ). Oh and shout out to Jade Lau ( @jadelau on Instagram ) and Kylie Lee (@cctv2.nmw on Instagram ) for these amazing pictures! If i got their links wrong ill make sure to update this!