Hello,
Come join me in my glittery galaxy:
http://www.hannachoayu.com
xxx Hanna
Author Archive
Everyone I know is sick. I’ve done my time over the holidays, so now it’s everyone else’s turn!
All this getting sick business has got me thinking about the healing power of food…which isnt really style-related but it’s my blog post. Actually, there were loads of talks about size 0 models and eating disorders around 2008 – 09. At one point, some designers even refused to hire models with unhealthy BMIs for runway shows. So ya, I guess this is ‘kinda’ fashion related in the loosest way possible.
We all know the golden rule : You are what you eat. (My friend, Fiona, who Likes every facebook group and page known to mankind – and this is why we’re friends – is a fan of ‘You are what you eat’ I don’t remember eating an effin legend’. I obviously mean it in a more literal sense.)
What you put into your body is so vital to your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Temporary highs are very seductive so you can just imagine the number of junk people willingly feed/inject themselves with that lead to decay. I, for one, fell victim to the holiday food frenzy so im going to have to rekindle my friendship with discipline and self-control.
Bye bye chemicals! Bye bye preservatives! Bye bye overly processed food! Bye bye feeling pregnant with a food baby!
Hello chef Mother Earth and all your wonderful munchies! Hello healthy grains, nuts and oats!
Hello apple stall that sells every kind of apple imaginable across the UN on Wednesdays (or is it Tuesdays?). Apples are SUCH great fruits, I could talk about it for days.
Hello natural remedies! My New York nanna Coring introduced me to the amazing world of grapefruit peel tea. It’s God’s gift to people with flu and a bad throat.
Hello better health!!
xxxx
Gotcha there! For your sake, were not talking about deep shit today. Maudlin Mondays are SO grade 7, back when life revolved around pimples. The whole process of adolescence was quite brutal thanks to my frienemy ‘Raging Hormones’. These days I just feel bad for ‘R.H.’ He gets blamed for everything, specially if he’s friends with an emotionally charged woman. (Why did hormone take a masculine identity in my head? Well, THAT’S a pyschoanalytical topic that would be fun to explore)
Its quite interesting how China took over the world way before the economic boom that started more or less in the 80s under the leadership of Deng X. Forget talks of GDPs, FDIs, open markets, job creation, diversification, and all that economic jargon….HAVENT YOU ALL NOTICED HOW THERE’S A CHINA TOWN IN MOST CAPITALS IN THE WORLD?!?!?!
If you know Manhattan, then you’d know that Chinatown covers the long stretch of Bowery extending over to Canal St. just at the edge of Italytown. (LOVE how actual geography has NO say on the proximity of China… and say Italy)
I, for one, love Chinatowns. Fruits are cheaper; You can buy ‘surprise’ buns that all look the same outside, but can either contain pork or custard inside; and everything is livelier because we communicate in higher decibels. It’s also quite flattering when my Asian peoples start talking to me in Mandarin, then I reply with the 4 words I know, and a conversation is born where I make hand gestures 97.5% of the time. It’s all good fun.
Plus there’s lot’s of interesting things to see like:
1) Balloons caught in a bald tree
2. Man with bubble gun
(If only all pistols fired bubbles instead of deadly ammunitions, the world would be a more peaceful place. Trust me on this one.)
3. Chinese McDonalds
4. And last, but not the least (and not really taken at Chinatown) but interesting nonetheless:
NITROGEN TANKS. Has anyone else noticed how there’s one in every corner? Fascinating. I told my boss of my secret dream to have a picture with a nitrogen tank on our way to a meeting last week, so he indulged me and walked 10 blocks around Turtle Bay in search for one..and guess what…we couldn’t find a single one! Nada. It’s like when you’re looking for something specific to buy and you CANNOT find it, but when youre not searching for it: BAM it’s there.
Life and its mysteries.
PS. That’s the parka I was talking about before!
My mother is SO funny. People never expect her to be because she never really mingles with ‘society’ and she looks and acts pretty normal in everyday life. Except I’ve known her for 24 years and I know the truth. Many people say (my father mainly) that we are quite similar…except she’s wiser and cleaner. Plus, she’s not really into fashion and prefers practical and classic clothes.
She does have her fashion dilemmas, and her concerns of the late are two-fold:
1) She’s been imploring me for the last few weeks to buy a real fur collar as a gift from her: ‘Hanna, as for your animal rights concerns, you can buy a non-extinct animal. Plus, there are now a lot of companies who have humane ways of making fur items.‘
I never really took up on this offer mainly because my faux versions are pretty good. They’re low maintenance and I can throw them in the washing machine whenever dirt starts to creep up. Ps, dry cleaning and hand washing totally stresses me out.
2) For the past 10 years she has begged me to keep warm in the winter and dress appropriately for the rain. She’s always saying things like ‘Youre going to class, not a fashion show!’ (Earth to mama: LIFE is one big catwalk); ‘Youre wearing THAT to lunch? You do know that were not going to a fancy place today’ (Ma, I like chic things so changing my outfit wont make a difference); ‘PLEASE buy a warm coat or a rain jacket. You know, there was a time I couldn’t afford good outerwear…so freezing is sort of a phobia for me.’ (It baffles her to no end how she birthed someone who would prefer hypothermia to looking ugly)
Long story short, I finally bought a rain jacket.
And ever since I purchased my non-Hanna rain jacket, the whole non-Hanna buying binge kinda spiraled out of control…Orange knitted scarf, Orange floppy Hat, Floral Dress, Jeans, snakeskin pants, Parka (!!! – although the one I bought is a princess parka. Ill wear it for the blog one of these days) Blue-y Green-ish Cowl Scarf thing. I even got a pair of giraffe mittens because they looked so sweet. The kids love it because I use it as a puppet to tell stories and bite their noses and give them giraffe kisses. I’m going through this cutesy kitschy mini-phase at the moment. It has a lot to do with where I’m at in my life and the dreadfully depressing weather outside which is getting the best of New Yorkers. While walking around manhattan, I’ve observed people with crumpled foreheads and dropped shoulders, and I just want to run up to them and give them a hug and sing ‘the sun will come out tomorrow’ ! Actually, I did this today. Haha. Not the singing because I haven’t practiced in a long time, but I gave the guy behind the counter at urban outfitters a proper hug after he told me he was going through some painful and sorrowful stuff.
Anyway, here’s Hanna looking very un-Hanna today, and some pictures of my lovely New York! xxx
I didn’t realize this man was getting his feirce on with me
Pursuing multiple passions and interests in a balanced manner is something I’m constantly working at. Compartmentalizing my career and extracurriculars is good to a certain degree because I don’t feel static, but life isn’t tidy so one box inevitably spills on to the others. Is perfect balance achievable? Not really. Still, I’d rather get as close to it as possible because the opposite is just too dreadful. I mean when you get down and jiggy with it, as long as you’re persevering towards something that’s life affirming, then even if outcomes are uncertain, running into some major ugglliiees is still minimized. (Mind you, there’s really a fine line between caution and cowardice; informed risk and gambling)
Perfect anything doesn’t really exist. There’s this chia muffin at le pain quotidien that comes dayum close to the perfect muffin, but even baked goods are unpredictable. Seriously, I was so furious one time when they gave me an anorexic muffin with practically no dates in it. So now I make it a point to be hyper-friendly to the wo/man behind the counter so I can hand pick the muffin I want without rubbing him/her the wrong way.
How-e-to the-ver, I had the most hilarious experience that taught me how acceptance of imperfection shouldn’t be an excuse for accepting the status quo, giving up, and maintaining a closed mind. Listen, for the longest time, I refused to wear tshirts because the fit was never right so I just always claimed not to have the body for it. Then Sexy White Shirt comes along and sends me two of the best fitting shirts I’ve met in my life. So there. I have what I wanted. I had to wait (and we all know how patience can be a biatch) but it was worth it.
I’m easily excitable. Fact. Over the weirdest things as well. Like I was never really good at physics (I was even worse in geometry. I HATED proving things which I already knew were true so I never really bothered to memorise all that postulate crap) but I remember being quite intrigued by quarks. Admittedly, because it came in cute different flavors…but also because of the idea behind it. You know, how something so minute and invisible to the naked eye can build up masses of matter and how life kinda operates in the same way. (You’ve got famous personalities that instigate political change in all their grandiosity but the actual foundations of any movement lies in the nameless people rallying behind it.) Anyway, I lost interest in quarks in about 10 seconds and flitted to the next big idea my teachers fed me that didn’t bore me.
Over the years I’ve learned to consciously calm myself down. Reading and writing is excellent because you can physically relax without disengaging from life, so you don’t really miss out on anything. Being mentally active and generating ideas with different scenarios while lazing in a couch is so much fun. It’s at par with cleaning the toilet bowl while reciting an extemporaneous speech.
Apart from the oddities, one of my non-crazy passions that NEVER fails to excite me is discovering creative people who are out there converting their visions into tangible products. I was invited by Amanda and Cristiano to check out their showroom for a viewing of Laura Vela’s handbag line, and the moment I saw animal prints I was sold. Actually, I was sold way before that as Laura and I have a couple of mutual friends who introduced us to each other eons ago. She was so lovely and kind that I liked her handbags even before I saw them in person.
A little sneak peak into her Spring/Summer 2012 collection reveals delicious colors and prints in the most supple of leathers crafted and tanned in Argentina.
One thing I instantly noticed were the bags weight. The bags definitely gets A marks for being light. My mother and I have issues with heavy bags. You know them, the ones that weigh like bricks even before you put a lipstick in it. (It took me a while to learn, but back pains have the awesome ability to impart fashion wisdom)
Thank you Amanda and Cristiano! I had such a lovely time chatting with you and playing in your showroom.
Visit Laura’s site to view her lookbooks, products and just general amazingness
Coral lipsticks are your 1) grandma’s best friend 2)your best friend’s worst enemy and 3) my lip color du jour.
Before we begin, I hope you appreciate my print screen collage (picture 6).
Shudder all you want, but Im currently cookoo for coral lipsticks. It’s the kind of thing that would be buried in your nana’s handbag along with used kleenex and mini lotions she took from her hotel because ‘I paid for the room and everything contained in it’. Grandmothers are cool. They’ve lived long enough to say whatever they want and not care. It also helps that the general population tend to be very kind and forgiving towards them. Though there are still those pricks who don’t have the decency to offer their seat on the subway, but that’s another subject for another blog post.
Coral lipsticks are fun because you don’t really know if it’s orange or red. It’s like a confused little make-up that’s neither here nor there but always manages to make a grand entrance and steal the show.
The verdict: coral lipsticks are chic…nursing home chic.
Wear it while: listening to Braid the Raven Hair from The Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan
Braid the raven hair —
Weave the supple tress —
Deck the maiden fair
In her loveliness —
Paint the pretty face —
Dye the coral lip —
Emphasize the grace
Of her ladyship!
Art and nature, thus allied,
Go to make a pretty bride.
Art and nature, thus allied,
Go to make a pretty bride.
The make-up fairies over at Benefit sure have the supreme ability to make me go giddy and giggly with their latest beauty potion-y concoctions. Their latest powder blush, Hervana, is heaven sent. Packaged neatly in a lilac box is a mosaic of dusty/rosey/coral/mauve color wheel that can turn even the most cranky broad into a sweet blushing angel.
This blush officially hits stores in January 2012.
Before you sulk, Benefit is spreading some Christmas cheer and holding an online flash sale today via Benefit, Sephora, Ulta and Bloomingdales. Enjoy!
(And before I forget, a massive thank you goes out to the girls over at Benefit for spoiling me rotten)
My friends = AMAZING.
Case in point: Pablo, who I’ve adored for years.
I’ve lost count how many years. But in my mind the length of friendship goes a little something like this: Ive moved to 3 different countries. He’s moved to 2 different cities. We’ve seen each other through family crises, relationship crises, etc. Most importantly, we’ve witnessed each other go through our awkward adolescence phase and still manage to have a healthy dose of respect for one another.
ANYWAY, the purpose of this post (I promise there’s one) is my excitement over my architect-cum-designer ‘Spanish Boyfriend’s’ new accessories business in Madrid. A peek through his tumblr (http://plphandcraft.tumblr.com/) should reveal a lot about his personality and products: Clean and sleek. Modern with a twist. Natural and architectural. Wooly but leathery. Soft yet hard. Haha, im just throwing out lines and combining the first words that are entering my head.
Visit his site. Buy something. Flirt with him in the comment box. He’ll love it.
I stole your pic on facebook. I hope that’s okay. x
Back when I did my little stint in retail, three of my favorite activities were 1) rummaging like a rat in the stock room for apparel from past seasons which were severely marked down 2) guessing the price of new merchandise and 3)window dressing. I specially loved number 3 because you can play around, brainstorm on themes and create a stage! Never mind if the mannequins clobbered me with their long limbs. I never really took offense even if I usually ended up with scrapes and bruises trying to clothe them.
New York has a visual surprise in every corner. Even a stroll up 5th or Madison is a guaranteed feast for the senses. I don’t know about the rest of the city but Bergdorf and Barney’s windows always create a stir in me when they unveil their latest display. It’s ephemeral, yes. But maybe that’s what makes it so appealing. When it goes beyond its sell-by date, it leaves an unsavory taste in the mouth. There are things which get better with age and store windows just aren’t one of them.
There’s museum art and there’s temporary art. Both beautiful but ultimately differing in permanence.
You know what would have been amazing? Seeing Andy Warhol’s displays for Bonwit Teller in the mid50s. All the other ‘artists’ doing it back then thought it was beneath them to dip into visual merchandising. Andy, being Andy, never really gave a flower about it and just carried on being and doing awesome.
I feed on novelty..not in the ‘consumerist-i-need-to-buy-something-every-five-seconds-because-everything-needs-to-be-brand-new’ kind of way but more in a ‘wow-ive-never-seen-this-before’ or even better ‘ive-never-seen-this-in-this-particular-way-before-and-omg-it’s-therefore-totally-different’. The fascinating thing about the latter is that it is entirely independent of a new item/experience, and yet it offers a brand new thought process and/or deeper insight.
Okay…to be honest.. I started with the intention of talking about Chinoiserie with aims of speculating if it was slightly narcissistic to be into Orientalism when you yourself are from the Far East.(You know, how it’s more fashionable to be infatuated with a culture that’s exotic relative to your cultural roots, etc.) Tangent much?
Actually, to be REALLY honest, I just wanted to share these amazing photographs:
There. Original intent accomplished.
Firstly, sorry for the desperate attempt at wordplay. (Colourfull/ Colourfall. Got it? No. Never mind)
I LOVE FALL. All the colours. All the smells. All that warm, fuzzy, romantic feeling while walking down Central Park and leaves scatter from the sky as the wind blows. It’s so novel in ways only an island chic who grew up in the tropics would understand.
As a child, our house always had living things. Some pets (there were two dogs and an unfortunate rabbit-cide incident caused by an overeager puppy that licked the poor thing to death. i also attempted to grow a pink-colored chick won by a cousin at a school fair that died in less than 24 hours. lesson: there’s no way to nurture a dyed chick no matter how maternal you are) and lot’s of greens.
My mother loves plants and flowers. She’s always running around giving instructions to the gardener, changing the landscaping of our outside garden , getting pest control to keep pests under..well..control, buying orchids for the house, having plants in the house, bringing out the orchids to get sunlight in the morning, cutting the stems herself, calling me abroad to ask how my plants are doing, etc etc etc. With all her plant duties, it baffles me how she still manages to rule the world.
I guess a bit of her love rubbed off on me over the years. Apart from having them indoors, I also like using them as decorations for receptions and dinner parties to embellish space and liven things up!
Things get really exciting when you start ‘working’ and little surprises such as this random vegetable which looks strangely similar to a Black Swan pops up in front of you. This thing, or Natalie Portman as I like to call her, sent me and my colleagues into hysteria for a good hour…
Enjoy alllllllllllll the fruits of fall!
XXXXXXX
