oh NO oh NO my first MILAN SHOW!

can you believe this? because I can't!

Firenze in B&W

my first few compiled prints from the first 3 rolls of film.

Thank you Honolulu Advertiser...

I hope to use this to my advantage and for the best of everyone's hopes.

I'm from Hawaii, you Milanians(?)!!!!

travels

The second weekend of my stay, I visited Rome over the weekend. I love Florence, Florence is my hometown, but Rome is undoubtedly beautiful also. People also dress a bit more edgier. Its also a tourist town, but the monuments being close to each other makes it a lot easier to see everything in a short amount of time. The inspirational moment was when we went to mass at the Vatican and heard the Pope speak out of his bedroom window, greeting everyone in 7 different languages. I thought I would be so concentrated on watching how people dress on the streets, but once I enter a museum or a church, everything flies away. And that, as a designer, is an inspirational moment. When clothes itself do not hypnotize you, but art and creation in different forms just give you that jolt of energy, and the skill kicks in when you can translate how you felt, how it made your eyes dazzle, into garments. And you couldn't possibly think of any other way to describe that energy flowing through you. 

from jakandjil blog

sometimes i feel like this. 

FIRENZE 1/31/2010

Oh goodness. theres so much to see, so much to do, so many streets to get lost on. My body is still getting used to the cold weather, but that doesn't make a style hungry girl blind. For those of you who follow global fashion weeks, the men's have just finished, and now the couture shows are up and running. It's hard for me to decide if I should go walk around and freeze or to stay indoors and indulge in the sweet, comforting world of... youtube. I suppose a good balance will do.
Here in Florence, fashion is everywhere... like how it's everywhere on the Waikiki strip. I am still in the process of elimination, to distinguish the tourism traps from the real Florentine fashion. As for street fashion, I've seen so far:

Puff jacket (in many colors with fur or knit trims)

very very extravagant fur coats

Florentines have no shame in wearing fur or mink, where in the US one would probably get egged by a PETA maniac. Leather, fur, and anything animal is a sign of wealth and fashion. In that sense, the older florentines have better street style with a more classic look. As for proportions and silhouettes, there are none yet. People are bundled up, and I can't tell where their neck starts and their shoulder ends. Time will unveil, or more like undress.

Something in Florence makes me feel like some styles are timeless. Unlike the US, where fashion is change and trends come in and out, something makes me feel like I would see a similar style every year during the winter season. And that is not necessarily a bad thing. Because if a garment is good and well made, it should last you a lifetime.

ciao bella,
Anna Tomita

SF

Here I am, in the middle of sf airport, at 530 in the morning. I have
a layover till noon and just noticing little things like the clean,
smooth, unoccupied floor at the main terminal. I took some film black
and whites, I still can't focus the camera too well but hopefully it
came out okay... Now what to do for a couple of hours... My number one
on the list is to watch the sunrise with my travel buddy Feliz. We
shall take it from there.
Much love to everyone, I finally made it out of the rock.