OMFG -- La Roux!

I love music. I love how it adds atmosphere to any situation, how it always seems to understand whatever love gripe you're working through and how it can make you want to dance around in your underwear like there's no tomorrow. (Let it be known that the latter is how I like to start most my days..with the curtains closed, of course!) Whether it be bass-heavy club anthems, minimalist house, straight-up catchy pop or old school Sinatra, music for me has only one criteria: if it makes you feel good, it's good music.
My current musical obsession is with the English duo La Roux! [Elly Jackson and Ben Langmaid.] I kept on hearing their hugely popular single "Bulletproof" everywhere only to have it get stuck in my head whenever I had space between thoughts...so I gave in and bought the rest of the album and was pleasantly surprised to find out it was much more than mere catchiness! I guess they would be categorized as electro-pop, but that implies overly synthesized tracks and weak vocals -- the songs definitely have a smooth synth edge, but make no mistake Jackson's vocals are as clear and strong as any acoustic performance. Aside from her musical talents, Jackson, often the only one seen in videos and when they perform, has a unique style of her own. With what can only be described as androgynous-chic gone neon, Jackson conveys a genderless cool-kid persona with her boy-short yet gravity-defying coif, slick trousers and sneakers. The duo recently opened at the Viktor & Rolf fashion show cementing their status, or Jackson's at least, as recognized style mavens. True style and sick music? Now that's a girl after my own heart.
What allows me to relate so much to their songs though is the sheer amount of emotion conveyed through their lyrics. I absolutely adore how Jackson sings about decidedly very "girly" issues all the while presenting herself as extremely androgynous... the confidence she portrays in her lyrics present emotions as a necessity to be proud of, regardless of gender. La Roux is essentially taking the feminine edge off emotions and allowing them to come off as feelings that stand on their own that everyone inevitably experiences. I'm impressed.
A few of my favorite tracks are linked below:
Armour Love:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAKmfO3v8ew
I'm Not Your Toy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew_c5ewoVQk&feature=fvw
Bulletproof:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUsbpmQ9-mc

And for those of you who enjoy shaking your bum around as much as I do, there are several amazing DJ remixes of many of their songs! As long as La Roux keeps killing it, I'll be listening.
x

Models & Personality? OMFG!

The Supers

Where did all the models go? No seriously, where did they all strut off and leave to? Every time I browse the newsstands it seems the only faces I see smiling back at me are ones of actresses. The Jennifer's, Halle's and Reese's have dominated all the September issues this fall leaving not a chance for a Daria, Jessica, Carmen or Coco in sight. Where did the days of the Supers go? The days when household names weren't just actresses but Cindy, Naomi, Linda and Christie! Now those women were Supers....supermodels I mean, in the truest sense of the word: they were curvy (okay, maybe not curvy by normal standards but curvy compared to the stick norm that exists today), divalicious, extravagant and ridiculously glamorous all the while doing their jobs well...and demanding no less than ten grande a day to step one dainty foot out of bed. (As uttered by Linda and thereby creating the most legendary of all fabulously spoiled lines.) The Supers set the standard for which all divas followed; a world where models were celebrities and personified the very alluring, glittery lifestyles they depicted in haute couture ads.
Those were the eighties and early nineties and since then, the role of the model has evolved. Except for Gisele, who briefly resurrected the supermodel craze and managed to find an audience beyond fashion groupies, the biggest models in the world are, for the most part, unknown. Sure, you have celebrities like Heidi Klum who are recognizable to even the most style-deprived of housewives in middle America, but, though she started off as a model, Klum rose to her star wattage by becoming a businesswoman and probably even more so for marrying Seal and popping out a whole litter of insanely cute kids. To put it mildly; she's not known for lounging on red velvet sofas in Paris covered in furs, she's known for lounging in Beverly Hills playgrounds covered in baby spit-up. Huge difference. So why the change in model persona recently? It may be as simple as the age of the diva has passed. Professionalism has made its return to the industry and models nowadays are more likely to succeed if they're on time, easy to work with, and energetic and opposed to hungover, cell-phone throwing and (more than) fashionably late. It is very much a job to the new breed of top models who don't necessarily know who YSL is and why he was a legend, but will gamely pose for the newest YSL campaign. Such a mentality has its benefits for the fashion world, namely a crop of eager-to-work models who know they're easily replaceable..but where's the glamor in that?
Yes, I'm a professional too when I'm on the job, but some times I think how much sheer fun it would of been to be a top model in the decade of decadence, i.e. the eighties. Call me a glutton for glitz but seriously, how awesome would it of been to roll up to parties in the south of France on the late Versace's arm and then roll into a campaign shoot the next day in the same clothes all the while getting paid what can only be described as offensively large amounts of money for some one to take pictures of you? Nothing short of glam glam glam. My admitted superficiality aside, the working girl models of today are refreshingly modest and pushing the industry forward with their work ethic and momentum, which is not exactly glamorous but a welcome change for many.
All this professionalism is not without its downsides, and as working girls the personalities of top models doesn't exactly shine through the dress-up roles they portray in ads and editorials. Kate Moss may be the last Super whose name alone is a brand within itself, with her popular line at Topshop continually selling out each season. On the flip side, top Canadian model (and my personal favorite) Daria Werbowy has landed countless major campaigns, walked every top runway and has her flawless face posted on every other billboard worldwide, yet there is no style, look, or persona attached to her name. She is a chameleon who merely lends her face and body out to sell the clothes she's wearing in pictures. Meanwhile, actresses have filled the void of the Supers and themselves have become international brands shilling everything from Versace to Japanese colas. It's not about what bodies designer clothes look best in, but instead about what lifestyle and personalities are associated with the star who is wearing them. For a consumer to see Madonna in all her airbrushed glory posing for Versace is to see all the edginess, agelessness and continual transformation Madonna stands for in Versace's line as opposed to seeing nothing but exquisite clothes hanging off an exquisite body.
I guess the answer to where all the models have gone is quite simple: to the insides of the magazines. Covers are flat-out dominated by actress-brands and even campaigns are using mainstream celebrities more and more. (James Franco for Gucci? Really? The Green Goblin?!) While I get this is all to boost sales, I miss the days when a cover meant an amazingly flawless model working her angles in fierce poses all the while wearing some extravagantly unwearable outfit and looking sultrily unattainable while doing so....in other words fashion for the sake of fashion.
Fashion, like anything else in the world, is prone to cycles and repeating history. The time of the Supers may have come and gone in the eighties but there is sure to be a resurgence of lively, glamorous models who want to make a splash for being themselves and not just mannequins. Socially responsible it may not be, but to be a Super sure looked like a hell of a time and I for one would warmly welcome a new era of frivolous fashion for no other reason than to be extravagant, spontaneous and ultimately glam, glam and more glam.
x

OMFG...Veg Out.

Of all the things I fantasize about (exploring Morocco in all its fabulously glamorous mystery, a private island in the Maldives to do absolutely nothing on, a perfectly slouchy fit Burberry Prorsum bomber jacket...I could go on.) the one that's always constant is food. Yes, deliciously decadent, insanely fattening but utterly irresistible food. Despite my lanky frame (I'd like to thank my Asian freak genes for blessing me with a ridiculously fast metabolism!) I can eat what can only be described as a disgusting amount of food. I've never been one to say no to savoring a treat and I can tell you that I never will...unless of course my health it at risk which, honestly is probable at this point. I'm sorry, but I think leftover chocolate cake is a perfectly balanced way to start the day! I'm waiting for that day in my forties when my metabolism will snap and I'll balloon...but until then I'm one happy hungry little hippo. 

Up until about six months ago, my diet was all-encompassing with no real dietary restrictions. However, after graduating with my degree in Environmental Resource Management I thought it best to take into consideration just how what I was eating was affecting our dear old Earth. I've never been a preachy person and obviously everyone can make decisions for themselves...so that being said, rest assured this isn't some hippie drivel I'm trying to force on everyone while wearing my Birkenstock sandals and homemade tie-dyed t-shirts. I understand that we all are accustomed to a certain lifestyle and can't all commit to living a totally environmentally impact-free existence. What is realistic is compromising in areas that are doable for you -- and for me that was adjusting my diet. 

After writing countless essays on the impact of meat production and the environment, reading article after article on how meat negatively contributes to carbon dioxide emissions, land use and water scarcity, listening to hundreds of hours on the topic in lecture and all the other academic sources I jammed into my head during my four years of post-secondary education, what it took to convince me to stop eating meat was a movie I watched out of boredom one night. All right, so maybe I was turning a blind eye to my studies purposefully because I used to love meat: burgers, steak, wings, you name it and I happily devoured it! But after seeing visuals of what happens to both the animals and our Earth...well I just couldn't be blind any longer. The documentary, Food Inc., looks into where the food in North America comes from and how large conglomerate companies dominate almost everything that is sold at large chain supermarkets. It was eye-opening, informative and probably depicted behind-the-scenes footage more graphically than need be, but it worked: I was converted!

To all you out there who are thinking of becoming vegetarian, I recommend doing it the smart way. This means going to your doctor or a nutritionist and figuring out how to still get all your nourishment while being meatless. I say this because I watched the film, freaked out, cut out any and all meat products for a month only to almost faint on a plane and start bruising like a day old peach whenever anything or anyone so much as grazed my skin. Overall, being a waif, fainting, black and blue wisp of a person was not -- I repeat -- not fun.

It's been about six months now and I'm so used to being vegetarian that the thought of meat doesn't cross my mind; I don't feel deprived and I certainly don't feel faint anymore. If I had to cut out sugar, well that'd be another issue entirely....cheesecake is the best way to bribe me and pancakes are a surefire way to my heart. My point being that if you really feel you just couldn't stop eating meat then don't leap before looking! Maybe jump on board with the "Meatless Monday" movement where one day a week is meatless, or try and help our lovely Earth in other ways: Drive less and bike more. Conserve more energy around your home. Cut down on your water usage. There's a way to help that fits every lifestyle and a little knowledge it all it takes to figure out why it's well worth the change. 

I'm still very much a foodie, albeit now just one who's keeping up with our changing times. Eat, drink and be merry blogees, and check out the following links for more info on Food Inc. and meat production in general:

http://www.goveg.com/environment.asp

http://www.foodincmovie.com/

x

Kids? Adults? OMFG...What are we?!

An article that has been making the rounds lately among my social networking sites (Yes, I got Facebook back. I just have no will power when it comes to online over-sharing.) is about the next generation of twenty-somethings and how they're different from previous ones, published in the New York Times. It's an insightful and interesting read basically laying out the argument that youth in their twenties nowadays are pushing back the usual steps taken to reach adulthood, such as marriage, kids, being financially independent, and are instead choosing in favor of longer schooling, travel, and an overall mission to find themselves before adulthood and real-life responsibilities being.
Check it out here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/magazine/22Adulthood-t.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&src=tptw
Well, after reading that article, and then skimming over my last blog post on right-brained thinking and endless possibilities, I let out a long "Ohhhh crap." I fit into this so-called "emerging adulthood" category to a tee...and so do most of my friends right now. Blame it on our privileged upbringings, blame it on the immense pressure there is on twenty-somethings to fulfill every aspect of their lives now in order to be happy later, and blame it on the recession, but however you put it, this generation is a walking, talking, traveling, advertisement for "emerging adulthood".
Some of the reason for this trend can of course be attributed to the changing times. Society demands different things of its youth as technology and social norms progress. I know I don't feel the need to pop out kids any time soon, partially because in middle school they made us watch a very informative but through my adolescent eyes, disgusting and horrific video called "The Miracle of Life", and partially because I know there are options out there for women choosing to have kids later on in life, such as adoption, surrogates, and fertility aids. (Although right now to be perfectly honest, the most I can picture myself with is a puppy or two, if that. Thank you, preventative sex education in middle school. Seriously, just the grossest video ever.) Couples living together without the need for marriage is widely accepted nowadays and premarital sex is, well let's just say you'd get stranger looks if you said you were against it than for it. These are but a few of the norms that have bended in regulation vastly over the last couple decades and have allowed us twenty-somethings to live in limbo for a little longer.
The big question is: is it all worth it? Does taking longer to reach adulthood ensure that the lives we live thereafter are happier and what we truly want? Having the answer to this would be like saying you had the answer to what the purpose of life is. There really is no one answer, you just have to live through it. I definitely believe in taking the time to find out exactly who you are and what makes you thrive in life before saddling yourself into any sort of norm, such as a marriage, a career-long job or a permanent location. However the ability for me to do so has its implications....I'm 23 at the moment and after 4 years of living on my own for school, I'm back at home. My parents are kind enough to be okay with this (That might be an understatement....my mom is ecstatic to have her kids home at this age -- she intercepts me with hugs every time I try and beeline for the fridge, the door, the stairs, etc.) but to know that I'm taking away instead of adding to their financial situation does not exactly sit well with me. Also, this time to see exactly what I want in the world has left me feeling a wee bit...unprepared. There's a part of me that's itching to throw myself into another city (New York!) just to see if I can  make it as an adult. This prolonged adolescence has created a generation of childish twenty-somethings...myself included. I feel ill-equipped in many ways to tackle the daunting real world mainly because I've never really had to. Living on my "own" during school was within the bubble of university and within the same city where I grew up. I think part of why I'm itching is because I crave the independence generations before us had; whether I'm ready for it or not, only experience and time will tell. What justifies the stage of "emerging adulthood", for me personally, is that the one thing I'm sure of is the momentum in my life. There's undoubtedly a forward motion to where things are headed for me in recent months in my post-university era, and it's this push towards whatever it is and wherever it is I am supposed to be that keeps me calm in knowing I'm on the right track. Everyday I wake up ready to tackle the world and I'm positive that if I keep tackling, something great is just around the corner.
Ah, this mentality, another symptom of the generation, is, as the article dubs it a somewhat romantic optimism in the "sense of possibility". While the article paints this notion as being somewhat naive, it's something I believe in because I've seen it work. It's worked for me, for my close friends, for people I love, but it's only there if you're open to it. Gone are the days when the only way to climb the ladder in life was through a series of predetermined steps: now all one needs is a chance meeting with the right person, and the ability to be your own resume one hundred percent of the time. Being the best possible version of yourself as much as possible isn't just for your own self-worth and happiness...it's an undeniable asset for your professional life. I've done some of my best networking while out and about in the city, day or night, meeting like-minded people with no other explanation than we recognized something of interest in one another. Simply making yourself available to these opportunities is perhaps the most important step.
At 23, the only thing I can say for sure about myself thus far is that I'm a romantic who places a lot (maybe even too much) value on love. What I want to do with my life exactly and how I want to live it in the decades to come...well those are only vague ideas swirling around in my over-active brain right now. Travel, art, love, family, friends, progress, style, and connections are all ideas of importance to me; but how these abstracts will become concrete is something I have another couple years to figure out.
Twenty-something Jennifer is quoted in the article as saying: "It’s somewhat terrifying to think about all the things I’m supposed to be doing in order to ‘get somewhere’ successful: ‘Follow your passions, live your dreams, take risks, network with the right people, find mentors, be financially responsible, volunteer, work, think about or go to grad school, fall in love and maintain personal well-being, mental health and nutrition.’ When is there time to just be and enjoy?” 
The time to "just be and enjoy" is now for me, and I owe it to myself, my good fortune at being given such an amazing opportunity, and my future to dive into my endless possibilities head first and without the slightest bit of doubt that I'll emerge more sure of myself than ever. 
Everything Jennifer listed is valid...but only one stands out in my mind: to all you twenty-somethings out there as lost as I am, follow your passions as tirelessly as possible and the rest of your happiness, whatever it may be, will be sure to come.
x

OMFG - No Make-up on Camera?!

What would this blog be without a little self-promotion dear blogees? I did a shoot a couple weeks ago with Toronto-based photographer Gobhi Theivendran and it turned out really well! Gobhi was really easy to work with and the vibe on set was relaxed and comfortable. It was a no make-up shoot, so all you lovely people get to see my unmade face and how I look about twelve without eyeliner...not a bad thing in the modeling world but pretty hilarious otherwise. Blame it on being Asian. An old agent of mine used to say "Asian and black don't crack!" And thank goodness for that! I had a shoot the other day with another model who was sixteen. Yes, sixteen. I was a whole third-grader older than her and, while amused that she was worrying about things like how to smuggle alcohol to her semi-formal (been there girl, vodka in water bottles and you're good to go, am I right?), I'll admit I was satisfied in knowing my shelf-life has yet to expire. Anyways, here are the shots from the no make-up shoot! We went for a grimy yet still fashion-y vibe. Enjoy and look out for many more pictures to come...x

Think & Feel...OMFG.

If I had to describe myself in two words they would be a romantic realist. The combination of being utterly, dreamily, romantic yet fully aware of the limitations of the real world makes for a somewhat conflicting existence for me: mainly one where I know better but have to feel things out on my own anyways. As I'm sure any of you can tell just by reading a few of my posts, I'm observant, logical and practical except when it comes to anything involving my heart...well, then I'm just hopeless.
The romantic part of me is very much right-brained: a creative artist who sees the world through rose-colored lenses, while the realist in me is left-brained: entirely logical and practical. Whereas the professional world was once dominated by those who are more so left-brained (Think white-collar class with multiple post-graduate degrees) there's been a shift towards valuing right-brained people in recent years. (Think artists who don't have to live off canned goods while inhabiting dirty lofts in pre-gentrified neighborhoods).
And thank goodness for this apparent shift because heavens knows I would be miserable if I had to rely on my left-brain to carry out my career chained to the helm of a desk in some monotonous office building crunching numbers or something just as static! Obviously there's still a need for left-brained individuals (I don't want some artsy-fartsy performing brain surgery on me, or anyone else I know), but the appreciation for artistic skills once seen as hobbies more or less, is carving out a spot for creative persons everywhere.
Painting, styling, decorating, and more are proving to be profitable careers for many and I couldn't be happier. Nowadays, it's sheer individual ambition that drives individuals and twenty-somethings are holding off their transitions into adulthood enticed by the seemingly endless possibilities out there. I've especially noticed this change in the fashion world as more and more people I meet are relying on being stylists, photographers, and overall media moguls as their sole way of making a living.
Of course it is not just artistic skill that is of value, but the emotional aspects that go hand-in-hand with them as well. Characteristics such as empathy and compassion are making their way into the market and not everything is as black and white as numbers and charts...and I think it's about time.
As some one who advocates emotions (that's putting is mildly) it's so refreshing to see how such feelings can be an asset to my professional life instead of a weakness. This, paired with my logicalness, will hopefully be the key to success for finding a job that I wake up everyday excited to go to! I think where this plays the most important role is in the connection between whatever market you're attempting to sell to and yourself as an individual. Being able to know that a person is not just a faceless entity and probably some one who has gone through a lot of what you have will only enhance one's ability to connect with them on whatever level necessary. What a beautiful way to do business, in my opinion at least! It's a time where by exposing your art, your craft, your skill and passion, means your client will come to you through resonating with whatever vibe you're putting out there.
I've always been confident in my skill as an artist and as a feeler (for lack of a better word. An emotion junkie? A sappy romanticist? A heart over header? Let's just stick to feeler.). I know I can write, I know I can paint, I know I have style and a way of connecting to others through empathy...and it's nice to know that the world may have confidence in me now as well. For all you out there who are lost in their twenties, struggling to decide just how you're going to find a place for yourself in this crowded world, take comfort in knowing that now, more than ever, you can be successful not just through one path, but through endless means of infinite possibilities.
x

O snip, M snip, F snip G snip..

 While sipping a French Martini on the patio of some nondescript lounge in the city the other hot summer night, a girl I'm friends-ish with sauntered on over and said a friendly hello. Actually -- let me clarify: the conversation went like this: "Oh. Em.Gee. Hi gorgeous! It's been soooo long! Backhanded compliment about my dress and how awesome Zara is for getting cheap clothes. What are you up to these days?! Inappropriate comment about my ex and why our relationship failed. We should totally get coffee some time! Jealous comments about some model pics I posted on Facebook ages ago. Anyways, it's sooooo good seeing you! Oh. Em. Gee!!! One more backhanded compliment for the road. Apparently my hair was going limp from the humidity." That's right bloggees, I had encountered the dreaded frenemy. For those of you not up to speed on the many shades of friends present in this complex social realm, I offer you a brief refresher course: Frenemies can be described as girls you know and occasionally hang out with who do all the talking while you roll your eyes and think in your head "Bitch, please!" They're easier to be nice to than not be nice to, simply because you know girlfriend would become a vindictive little pain in the ass if you were to, say, brush off her stories about how she just spent the last two weeks retouching her hair to get it just the right shade of peroxide blonde. Gay boys can fall under the frenemy category as well, but straight boys are exempt of the rule since, well, straight boys are incapable of being anything but straightforward and logical when it comes to friendships. (Which is sweet and all, but come on, we all know girls and gay boys are the ones who run this social business.)
I personally don't find it too hard to deal with frenemies. I've had my share and for the most part, I find them harmless and even amusing...I mean you don't even have to do any talking, they're a conversation within themselves! I've perfected standing there, nodding my head with a smile plastered on and offering advice as sincerely as I can when they tell me about problems they're going through even though I really don't know much about them aside from the fact that they like their martinis dry.
However, it's when a frenemy turns toxic, and not in that sexy, mysterious way Britney breathily sings about, that you have to do some snipping. Cutting out toxic friends is like social tailoring for me: you want to make sure your social circle is made to fit you perfectly, no loose ends, no rough edges and certainly no extra pins leftover in your custom YSL shirts to stab you in the back!
A site a I frequently visit, TresSugar, recently posted "10 Signs of a Toxic Friend", and if you know any frenemies of yours who fits even half of this list, it's time to sharpen the blade. Check out the link below!
http://www.tressugar.com/Toxic-Friend-Signs-7659989
The list is effective and precise when it comes to singling out exactly what makes a friend toxic, but if you prefer a simpler method, ask yourself one question: "Does this person make me happy?" If the answer is a big fat no, be confident that your life will be better sans the frenemy. Cutting a person entirely out entirely may seem harsh, but what has to be done has to be done and your future, happier self will thank you later. While most frenemies are harmless, it's the ones that drain the positive energy out of our lives that raise red flags. Just imagine how much lovelier a conversation I could of had with some snipping: "Oh. Em. Gee. Snip!" Bitch, please.
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