Unforgettable Olympiads.

Short snippet I wrote for a fashion column (yes, I know it's rehashing a bit of the Lucy Liu tragedy earlier.. but look at that other photo! Bangin!!)

Take a good look, folks. You’re staring at two very different takes on one pure-as-the-driven-snow theme: the 2008 Beijing Olympics, featuring… you guessed it, Asians. Patriotic as all get out, photographer Peter Lindberg captured Chinese-American actress-sometimes-model Lucy Liu flaunting Chanel’s Amazonian look while draped in an American flag, symbolizing, one can only guess, how lovely it is to be an American. Liu’s tousled locks and winning smile make her a surefire fit as a Harper’s BAZAAR poster girl. The couture brand name along with the onyx-accented necklace add haute accents to this otherwise unoriginal photo. Sorry, Lindberg! On the other hand, photographer Chen Zhun had a very different take on the Olympics in the alien-like portrait on the right, emphasizing hair sculpture as fashion and eerie other-worldliness in this alluring photo of a “Siamese triplet” trio of Chinese models. Without a scrap of clothing or jewelry on them, Chun still manages to convey sleek high-fashion with black sand and an amazing hair stylist. The photo is dark and captivating, and maybe that’s why I like it. I can see a sunny smile on glossy covers on the allover newsstands, but something like Zhun’s work manages to speak of high fashion without having to spell it out for you. Deliciously fashionable and well-done, Zhun.

Glam Eyelashes from Kakuyasu Uchiide: Bat, Bat, Batter up.

I am in love with the ultra-glam look of these fluttery buddies. This kind of reckless abandon for all things practical is a large part of what I love about dressing up. The crazier, more over-the-top, and more impractical I make my fashion, the more I feel like an artist decorating a palette , rather than just a girl picking pre-selected popular fashions from the rack.

Ironically, my, and many other fashionable ladies', devil-may-care attitude about the glory that is dressing up was poo-pooed by the hypocritical designer of these lovely lashes. In Kakuyasu Uchiide's interview on PingMag.com , he annoyingly comments on Japanese youth culture's obsession with fashion:

"Being an extreme thing is not so good. I like young people who are trying to find their originality through fashion and make-up that is suitable for their income."

Uhm... am I taking crazy pills? His very industry hovers around making HIGH FASHION goods for a select clientèle of only those who can afford it. Extremes in fashion are something I'm always striving for, though I understand that others may not share my strange hobby. I live within my means, but I try to dress fabulous. And so should you.

Mr. Uchiide is head make-up artist for Shu Uemura's cosmetics line.

Don't worry, buddy. I still like your lashes.


Also, this just in:

Wait, wait, wait..... so... BAZAAR Magazine is trying to tell us that.. LUCY LIU IS ASIAN?!? or... or... AMERICAN? Or BOTH?! Haha... Her horrifying spread centered around Olympics and ACTUALLY draping herself in Chinese and US flags is featured in the August 2008 issue of BIZZAARO.