Jenny

Jenny is an interior designer based in Bangkok. The last time I show her, it was in the Biscuit factory in Bermondsey where she was exhibiting her fabric sculptures in a group show. Now she is back in town and we had a chance to meet up and talk about style, fashion and self expression.

We met up in Tottenham Court Road and in Brick Lane. In each photo Jenny's style is mixing perfectly with the surrounding area, the brutalist architectural style of the Centre Point in the first picture and the hippy ambience of Brick Lane in the second.

Jenny's style is eye-catching and to the people who are close to her it is an extension of her warm and outgoing personality. She is a fan of stripes, polka dots and tribal patterns and wears a very specific palette of colours. "I will choose anything that is grey, brown and pink and matches my body type" she adds while playing with her owl-shaped ring. I imagine her opening a big box full of funky accessories and picking different ones each day. But I've got it wrong."I wear everyday the same jewellery. During the weekdays I don't pay so much attention to what I will wear but on weekends everything becomes more exquisite. I will put on my favourite music and improvise."

Confront your fears with a cobalt blue Jumpsuit

Stella is an architect and a mother of a cute four-year old girl. Her style is unique and she stands out in the crowd because she has a flair for putting together outfits that look like they were made for her.

"I wear uniforms, that's all. I always had my issues and that’s why a uniform enables me to choose outfits that I know for sure they will work on me. That way, I conceal my insecurities." When I asked her what is it that she wants to hide behind a uniform, she referred me to Marina Abramovitz's video performance The Onion. " In that video Marina Abramovitz speaks on behalf of me."

In this photo, Stella wears a necklace by Christina Darra and plastic Marni shoes. "They are so comfortable", she says, "I've spent all last summer wearing as I was going in and out of the sea."

Marina Abramović, The Onion , 1996 – 20:00 mins



The first shot is a close up of Abramović looking upward and holding a large onion. Her fingernails are painted bright red, just like her lips. Slowly she brings the onion closer to her mouth, taking a large bite from it and beginning to chew. Her voice-over keeps repeating the following as she devours the onion: ‘I’m tired of changing planes so often, waiting in the waiting rooms, bus stations, train stations, airports. I am tired of waiting for endless passport controls. Fast shopping in shopping malls. I am tired of more career decisions: museum and gallery openings, endless receptions, standing around with a glass of plain water, pretending that I am interested in conversation. I am tired of my migraine attacks. Lonely hotel room, room service, long distance telephone calls, bad TV movies. I am tired of always falling in love with the wrong man. I am tired of being ashamed of my nose being too big, of my ass being too large, ashamed about the war in Yugoslavia. I want to go away. Somewhere so far that I’m unreachable, by telephone or fax. I want to get old, really, really old, so that nothing matters any more. I want to understand and see clearly what is behind all of us. I want not to want anymore.’

source: http://wmuvideo.wordpress.com

two girls and a fedora hat

Sometimes I meet people that want to talk about fashion but they do not like being exposed.However, I recently met two girls who were willing to do so creatively. They stroke a pose and concealed their faces behind a fedora hat.

"I am a dentist. I have to wear specific clothes to work; a white robe etc, but I replaced the white clogs with colorful crocks so I made this outfit mine. When I am not working, I dress casually but never conservatively. The essential piece of clothing in my wardrobe would have to be the pants. I have a large variety of pants from which I accessorize with others items. They all are unique designs and I like them to be comfortable on me as I don’t like them to outline my body.

I like 80's fashion and fluorescent colors. On a special occasion, I would wear a dress but only something that is unique because I like to be different. I say no to mini skirts, heels and in general whatever limits my comfort, my movement. I like accesories, I will always add something to my outfit, like this hat for example. I wear rings, usually on my right hand, but I keep it simple. Often, I would wear something that reminds me of a person in my life, like a ring I wore for years that belonged to my grandmother."

The other girl I spoke to is a student at the school of fine Arts. " I don't think much about fashion" she says "you ask me if I wear accesories and I said no, but I cannot think of a reason why I don’t. Actually it's the first time I think about it. Probably it’s because I would rather spend my money on other things. I dress depending on my mood. I like colors and when I am in a good mood I indulge wearing lots of colors. I like the romantic style, dresses with floral patterns. At school I wear jumpsuits because they make me feel comfortable."