“Fashion, happiness, fantasy…is what helps people. After every night, there is a bright morning.”

“This moment reminds me of how my mother used to recount that during the war she would talk about movies and her favorite actors in the shelter,” United Arrows creative director (and Sartorialist regular) Hirofumi Kurino shared in a note to all employees. The company is keeping stores open. Kurino emphasizes the importance of continuing normal life, and fashion and beauty especially at a time like this.


In Japan, as earthquakes continue, fears of nuclear radiation grow, and snow falls in the troubled Tohoku region, many in Tokyo try to function somewhat normally.

At Garter and Spank!, two shops in the trendy neighborhood of Koenji, owners Koshiro Ebata and Tavuchi, respectively, tweeted and blogged that they are open for business. So is Xanadu in Harajuku, a hot spot for young Japanese fashion design. “If I don’t keep the store open, my designers can’t eat,” said owner Tatsuro Motohashi. “I have to support them.” Miharayasuhiro closed its Tokyo boutique, but part of the team, like PR manager Noe Okamoto, is at the office packing up their international deliveries to get them out by the end of the month. Street-style blogger Mamy, a fixture around Omote-sando, posted some photos today.


In two weeks i will be going to japan hopefully to not only support the culture and economy, but also to be there with friends who have had to go through this horrible disaster first hand. Hearing the news from outside sources sound terrible, however from the inside perspectives i am hearing, at least in Tokyo, people are banning together to try and get life back together and back to normal. 


it is amazing to see so many fashion houses coming to the Aid of this amazing country.  donations keep pouring in. Coach has pledged the equivalent of $4 million to the Japanese Red Cross, H&M has closed all Kanto area stores so employees can be with their families, but will continue to compensate all staff until stores reopen. The Tod’s Group announced today that it will make a donation of more than 100 million Yen to aid urgent
relief efforts in Japan. 

my heart goes out to all those who have been personally effected by all the tragedies.

punk lives in 2011

The march 2011 Vogue Germany shoot Elvis Lebt has all the predictions of punk become this seasons main trend in the fashion world, and that the rockabilly pompadour can work on women equally as well. 

Delfine Bafort stars alongside teddy boys Paul Boche, Jules Hamilton and Sasha Lysenko in this shoot by Miguel Reveriego. You can view the full pictorial below, or check it out in more detail by picking up a copy of Vogue Germany's March 2011 issue. check out the how to at the bottom.

How to create a Rockabilly hairstyle

Though high-maintenance, rockabilly hair is undeniably cool and evinces major style credentials. Some pointers:

• The classic rockabilly cut is long on top and very short on the sides and back.
• Firstly, shampoo and towel-dry your hair and then liberally apply pomade with your fingers. Choose if you want a parted greaser style, a slicked-back greaser style or a pompadour.
• Comb the hair straight back or part your hair and comb it back.
• Use your fingers to tease the front, turning any curls into defined curls. You may wish to use a little beeswax to piece out a few curls.
• If you wish to do the pompadour, you'll want to use less grease pomade and more beeswax.
• Use your hair dryer to dry your hair straight up, using a brush to lift the hair and applying beeswax at the roots to help it stand up. Use a comb and your fingers to guide the hair back, maintaining the required volume in front.
• For a true sky-high pompadour: straight out of the shower, put a small amount of gel in the hair and blow-dry. The trick to getting real height is to get some gel at the roots and blow dry it upside down, while bending over. Once it's standing high, use beeswax or another firm holding gel.

If you want to go all-out rockabilly, then pairing your new hair with appropriate clothing and accessories is essential. The look is 50s cool using predominantly black, red and white colours. Think leather jackets, gingham, vintage bowling shirts, slacks, crepe soled shoes and obviously, jeans (preferably vintage-look Levi 501s). The current model for the neo-rockabilly look is skinny black jeans, printed tees or baggy white wife beaters, button-up shirts, skinny ties, omnipresent wayfarer sunglasses and a fitted leather jacket.

spring is here!

oh my, i apologize for not writing for a bit. I had a client who walked into my studio and sneezed on me. I never, NEVER get sick. however, if you are nice enough to sneeze directly on me, i apparently do catch a cold. so you can blame her for my absence.

the one thing i did do as i was sick in bed, is check out all the hairstyles for spring 2011. here are some of my favorites;

messy natural texture. 

i love how soft and natural is making its way to fashion. soft, natural, healthy hair should always be in style. create this style with deep conditioning treatments and air drying. One of my favorite home made deep conditioning treatments;

1 avocado

        1 tblsp olive oil

mix the avocado and oil until well mixed. do not leave any chucks of avocado, make sure it is a creamy paste. apply to DRY hair from the middle to ends. wait at least 30 minutes, and then hop in the shower and shampoo out. your choice if you want to also condition. the olive oil is the best oil not only because everyone has it in their house, but the molecules of this particular oil are small enough to penetrate into your hair, so it repairs from the inside out. the natural fats of the avocado are also a necessity to fill in any holes or broken areas of the outer layer of your hair, creating a smoother, shiny strand of hair. it also makes your hair feel plumper due to the repair of the outer layer. 

speaking of plump hair, VOLUME. tease it, tossle it, let it stand tall! the bigger the volume, the better!

braids were all over the runways for spring. regular, fishtail, messy. you name it, if its woven, its in style

if you are going to pull your hair back, do it with flair. extreme side part it up!

don't feel confident in braiding your own hair? no worries, just a low ponytail or bun will do.

when in doubt, you can always just pull it back in a messy whatever you want, throw a simple clean headband across it and becomes a stylish updo.