(OLIVE des OLIVE sweater, Chicwish skirt, Romwe shoes, Miss Selfridge clutch, Yhansy headband - SO SNSD IGAB, RIGHT?, Forever 21 earrings) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

The day that I’ve been dreading has finally come, so here’s a bright and golden outfit to celebrate the end of my My Own Fashion Week Fukuoka series. No oxblood/maroon or black for this one, I’m afraid.

Now that my hair is lighter, I can wear these kinds of light monochromatic outfits again without my old dark hair contrasting too much.

This cream sweater is something I got on sale at the OLIVE des OLIVE store in Canal City, the same store where I got a few of my cute button-downs and peter pan collar sweaters last 2011. One year has passed since my first visit to Fukuoka, and they still possess the same daintiness that drew me to them in the first place. 

I heard daisy motifs will be huge this spring/summer in Japan, following the success of the Marc Jacobs Daisy branding. I’m not surprised the Japanese loved the white and gold flower design so much that it has somwehow transcended into their fashion as well. OLIVE des OLIVE had a very subtle take on it. From afar the sweater looks quite plain and ordinary, but it actually has flowers with small golden studs on each center. It’s these details that make me love Japanese fashion so much. Sometimes they’re not so in-your-face when it comes to trends so you can still wear their clothes regardless of what’s in or what’s not. 

Ahh, I’m so sad that this is going to be the last MOFW for a while, since I don’t have any planned trips until April (possibly Europe, like Austria and Germany) and May (Hello USA!). Unless I get a spontaneous sponsored trip this February or March… which is my ultimate wish right now, lol. T_T

My blog needs rest from all the constant traveling too, I guess. :) 

(EGOIST bag, Esperanza boots, Massimo Dutti knit top, Forever 21 collared top, Topshop bodycon skirt, Yhansy necklace, Watch Factory watch, olive + piper bracelets) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Since I’ve been posting a lot of red, white and black for this series of MOFW, I figured I should just continue with it and not force myself to wear something I don’t want to wear, just because all my recent posts have been looking quite similar. Maybe because it’s almost Chinese New Year (or Valentines?) that I’ve been bringing out all the reds out of my closet, or maybe it’s only another one of my strange color accent phases. Wear one color every day for a week. I think I’m one of the very few who can live with this. Shows how passionate I can be for something!

But anyway, it’s not really the red that I want to emphasize here, but my bag, which is one of my most favorite purchases during my trip to Japan! It’s from the brand EGOIST, which you might find familiar if you’re an avid reader of JELLY and SCawaii. They sell quite a lot of black and white clothes, but what sets the brand apart from other MODE brands like EMODA and MURUA is that they offer more mature and feminine silhouettes, and sexy-meets-edgy pieces. Not only do they sell clothes but also accessories, shoes and bags which are all very stylish and up-to-date with trends.

Speaking of trends, studs have been all the rage for the past couple of months, and EGOIST was there when it all started. This bag was only one of the many bags that made use of studs in their designs, but this bag was *the* winner. Don’t you think it’s genius to just put the studs on one side, and make the opposite side plain? It’s like having 2 different bags! <3  I can show the plain part of the bag if my outfit is intricate, and the studded part if my outfit is super simple.

(SpRay jacket, Greenhills top, FashionCookie ShoeAvenue boots, moussy bag) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Debuting my lighter hair color in time for spring/summer. Actually, this is only my lame excuse for simply being fickle about my hair. No bleaching involved since my hair ends are pretty much fried already. I just missed the light brown after 3-4 months of dark hair. To be quite honest, as much as I loved my previous color (which was quite *mature*), I think I was really made for this in-between brown and blonde thing. Makes me feel lighter and brighter too!

I can’t believe I’m already on my 5th day (LOL, it sounds like I’m talking about my period) of MOFW, which means I only have 2 more purely Japanese fashion features after this! Sad face.

On a lighter note, this outfit is very me circa early 2012, back when I was obsessed with wearing oxblood with light blue denim and black. I also came back from Japan around then, so I’m pretty sure they’re the ones to blame for all the red that I’ve been consecutively wearing. Never a bad thing though, because I love it anyway. Matches the red of my blog layout!

This jacket is from a brand called SpRay which I was able to visit in Tenjin Core Fukuoka (but they also have a store in Shibuya 109). The whole place looked like my closet because they had so many sweaters, jackets and collared tops a.k.a. my default uniforms. And the prices were comparable to CECIL MCBEE as well, which I previously mentioned is already an affordable gyaru brand compared to most. 

Spazzed like a crazy person as soon as I laid my eyes on this jacket, because it was perfect in so many ways. I’ve been meaning to get a red varsity jacket (since I already have a black and a pastel one) but it was so hard for me to find the ideal length and design since I usually only found short ones with like, weird embroidered text. :))

Paired the jacket with my ever-so-trusty moussy bag, also purchased in Fukuoka. It only occurred to me now that the handles look very Givenchy!

(dazzlin skirt, Choies top, Mango blazer, EMODA earrings, Esperanza boots, Romwe bag) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Sorry guys, my bag isn’t Laguna Moon but it sure looks like it. It was sold out when I went to the actual Laguna Moon store in Japan, but thanks to Romwe I managed to get myself the exact same design. Thanks to ViVi and a close-to-iconic photo of Lena Fuji holding the same bag, I went all cat crazy for the nth time. Lucky for me last F/W, high street had a lot of these feline furries.

For the 4th day of MOFW, I’m wearing a gold skirt from dazzlin and a pair boots from Esperanza. First things first, Esperanza is on the top of my list when it comes to the best shoe brands I’ve ever tried in my life. I have another pair of boots from them, a black platform pair with a higher heel height, that I’ve worn on my Lookbook a number of times already. They are still in almost-mint condition after wearing it pretty much everywhere. Most of the time I pack at least one pair of heeled shoes when I travel, and that particular pair is always my first choice. I never get blisters and I can wear them for hours, without hurting! What is this sorcery, Japan?!

Anyhow, after a good experience with the Esperanza shoe brand, I got myself another one back in Fukuoka. This time I chose a shorter heel height which is ideal for traveling in both comfort and style. There’s a slight cushion inside that makes it even more comfortable! Plus it makes you feel like you got your money’s worth lol. I also chose it for the two-toned design which was all the rage in Japan during my short visit. :D

On the other hand, this fabulous gold skirt is from the popular Japanese brand, dazzlin. I know them primarily because they present regularly in the touchMe presentations along with EMODA, MURUA, and the other brands from Mark Styler (a fashion group that manages a roster of brands that I all coincidentally love). They recently got Jennifer Eyemere, editor-in-chief of France’s JaLouse magazine, to style the recent dazzlin presentation, which I think is quite genius for them to do, since it presents a different kind of Japanese fashion to people from all over the world. Not the popular notion of it always having to look like cosplay, lolita, decora, etc. I’ve already lost count of all the times when I’ve gotten strange looks from people who ask me about my ultimate fashion influences. When I say Japanese fashion, I guess most people expect me to dress up like Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Girls. Story of my life. Huu, it doesn’t always have to be wild and colorful! T_T

(MURUA top, moussy bag, Romwe pants, Topshop tanktop, Topman hat, Zara heels) Hype this look on Lookbook here. Thanks Kristin for helping me with these photos!

Say hello to what I call my ultimate dyslexia top! Some of the letters are flipped, making it almost impossible to understand at first glance. It would take you a good few seconds (given you have perfect eyesight) to take it all in and realize what the message is. If you don’t want to go through the effort, I’ll just type it out. It says, “Don’t you think now is the time to be adventurous while we’re still young?” While I think we can be adventurous at any age, I do feel that I’m in the prime of my youth and that it’s the perfect time to try out new things and have fun, without all the serious stuff (like health problems and physical limitations for example) that goes with growing old. 

I don’t have a lot of graphic tops but I just felt drawn to this particular one as soon as I saw it on a mannequin in the MURUA store at Parco (same place where I bought my EMODA dress from my previous entry). I guess I thought it would be a good reminder to my ever-so-introverted and conservative self, to dare to go out more and not be so anti-social like I always am. Note to self: Be more adventurous, meet new people, be open to more opportunities, have fun, etc. 

Anyhow, it’s not the first time I’ve mentioned MURUA here before. As with EMODA, it’s one of the most popular MODE brands out there, if not one of the pioneers of the movement. Recently, they got Kate Lanphear to style their fashion show, as well as to collaborate on some exclusive designs for the brand. How cool is that? MODE is really going global these days. I’m still waiting for the day when MURUA decides to open a global webstore just like EMODA. T_T

On another note, my bag is also from Japanese brand moussy. Got it from their Canal City store. Their recent campaign features Charlotte Free (and her fabulous pink hair), and I remember them also getting Agyness Deyn a few years back. I absolutely love visiting them specifically for the bags and shoes. This one that I have here is such a gem with its classic design with a hint of edginess, studs and all. It can also fit so many things inside, including my camera - my primary requirement for everyday bags. 

P.S. Thanks to SNSD I Got A Boy, I am OBSESSED with flat brim caps! I need more!

(EMODA dress and necklace, Chanel bag, Time Depot Sheen watch, Sugarfree Shoes heels, Mango sunnies) Hype this look on Lookbook here. Thanks Kristin for helping me with these photos.

My new default lazy dress c/o none other than EMODA. I already splurged a bit when I went to their store in The One HK, so I decided to behave like a good girl, and choose only 1-2 items to get from them this time. The EMODA in Fukuoka can be found in Parco, which is near the Tenjin Core and Solaria Stage area, so it was quite easy to go to, and very convenient as well since it was located beside other MODE brands like MURUA, if you’re into that kind of style. I’ve always supported EMODA thanks to the constant features in ViVi, but my love for it is mostly because their style is a perfect blend of everything that I consider my fashion influences. Just the right marriage of Japanese fashion and Western high street. Not so cutesy (like Liz Lisa) but still youthful and timeless.

After racking my brains out in the store, because everything was just absolutely wonderful, it all boiled down to this dress and this necklace. The dress was a sure winner - my mom even asked me if it came in other colors because she would totally get one for herself too. The original black, gray and white pattern is classic, and the boxy cut is also sophisticated and chic. On the other hand, the necklace is just something that is so me, yes? Based on years of posting outfit photos, you guys might have already noticed that my taste in accessories is very simple and understated. You won’t even notice the necklace against the busy pattern of the dress, but that is exactly the way I like it.

(CECIL McBee sweater, EMODA bag, Romwe skirt, Forever 21 necklace and socks, FashionCookie ShoeAvenue shoes) Hype this look on Lookbook here. Thanks Kristin for helping me with these.

“My Own Fashion Week” is back, and this time, I’m featuring Japanese brands! I wear them regularly, even when I’m not explicitly promoting them, but for this particular series, I’m going to be wearing my new purchases from my recent Fukuoka trip last December 2012 (so it’s still MOFW 2012). I couldn’t be more excited for this, really. Totes right up my alley because my personal style is deeply rooted in Japanese fashion. Well, I can say that my style at this point in my life is also mixed with Western high street fashion, but I still follow ViVi, etc. like bibles! 

Speaking of Japanese magazines, this sweater was featured in a recent JELLY issue and worn by one of my fave models Miyagi Mai. Perpetually a fan of black and white, I couldn’t take my eyes off it when I walked into the CECIL McBEE in Tenjin Core. These are the kinds of sweaters that anyone can always wear regardless of trends. Classic. But for this look, I went all-out trendy for a change! I paired it with black and white items too, since black and white (together) is going to be huge this spring/summer. Good for me - I always wear them anyway. 

CECIL McBEE is a brand I *always* go to when I’m in Japan. They sell stuff relatively cheaper and more affordable than most gyaru brands, and they usually have huuuuge store spaces with the widest variety of styles to choose from. I’m sure they’re one of the highest-selling gyaru brands because of this! They also sell cosmetics, bags, etc. So much love. Paired the color block sweater with my EMODA bag (which I ordered online some time last year) that is super popular in my Instagram, haha. Because they think it’s a Phillip Lim. :))

(Tricia Gosingtian x Catherine Jannelle dress, Charriol watch, SM Accessories earrings and bracelet, Comfit heels) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

And with this post, my fourth and last My Own Fashion Week (MOFW) will come to a close. I made sure to keep this particular series faithful to the purpose of my trip, which is to help promote batik. I hope I did it justice!

Anyhow, here is the third design collaboration that I did with Cat, using some fabric that I bought in Yogyakarta. I am not going to take much credit for this, because it’s all her work. I gave her an idea of what I wanted the dress to look like and told her that she was free to inject her own interpretation of it. In true Catherine Jannelle fashion, it turned out to be a masterpiece. The multiple layers of batik fabric caused a little shortage problem (my bad), but she added pinya cloth and that wonderful red part on the collar to salvage it… making it a thousand times better than what I expected it to be. It looks like it can pass off as a Filipino-inspired dress as well.

(Alleira Batik dress used as top, Forever 21 skirt, Freedom heels, Apartment 8 clutch) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

This batik dress was the welcome gift from Alleira that I was talking about in my first Indonesia travel post. I ended up using it after all, despite it being in XL size, for a number of reasons. The quality of this dress is nothing short of amazing, and I wouldn’t trade the print and the design for anything else. It’s something that not everyone can reproduce, so it looks like I’ll be keeping it in my closet for a long time. For these pictures, I just used a ton of pins at the back to make the dress fit better, but I do have plans to have it altered to my size soon.

(Tricia Gosingtian x Catherine Jannelle batik print skirt, Sheinside sweater, olive + piper necklace, Watch Factory watch, Mirota Yogyakarta bag, Jellybean Zara-inspired heels) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Here’s the second item that Cat and I produced for my MOFW Indonesia. This pleated skirt was made from another batik print fabric that I found in Mirota Yogyakarta. I was actually wondering why this wasn’t sold out yet - You can’t really see it properly in the pictures but there are some parts of this print that are outlined with some sort of shiny gold material. Super cute and also elegant in its own inexplicit way.

(Batik Keris top, DAS wedges, Soeurs necklace) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

I’m on the 4th day of My Own Fashion Week already? It really is the busiest time of the year. I just felt like posting the first one yesterday, and now I’m three entries away from completing yet another series.

This top was my very last purchase from my Indonesia trip. I asked one of the people helping out in the familiarization trip if there existed a number 1 destination for batik souvenirs in the mall nearest the airport, so she led me to Batik Keris. I spent a long time choosing what I wanted in the store, because everything was so pretty and the prices weren’t bad at all. In the end, I decided on this 100% cotton top for its bright fire-like color and high neck (which you all know I absolutely love). What do you think?

I paired it with a girly old rose pleated skirt to give it a nice modern contrast, as well as sky-high wedges that can be seen from a mile away! 

(INVIO top, Soeurs suit set, Forever 21 heels, Bayo bag, Minimal necklace) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

During my trip to Indonesia, INVIO was one of the local department store brands that immediately caught my eye. They offered a ton of sophisticated-but-edgy workwear (clearly the inspiration for this post), as well as classy button-downs with the most interesting cuts and prints. This one that I’m wearing here was my number one choice from their current selection of clothes. Chic geometric prints, and that stripe detail at the bottom? Love! 

(Tricia Gosingtian x Catherine Jannelle batik print top, Forever 21 shorts, Finch Style heels, Daniel Wellington watch, Kookii Boutique bracelet, Bayo bag) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Kicking off the second day of MOFW Indonesia with a custom-made batik print off-shoulder top. Being exposed to Indonesian batik for a whole week made me want to wear it. My only problem was that I couldn’t find anything that fit my personal style! What’s a better solution than to create something of your own design? I bought some inexpensive printed fabric from Mirota in Yogyakarta and met with one of my favorite designers, Cat, to discuss a collab with her. This is only the first out of the three items that we managed to create together, and I can’t wait to show you all the two other pieces of clothing that we made out of the fabrics that I got. 

Pretty much aimed for the whole traditional-meets-modern concept for this look, obviously! Went the matchy matchy route and paired the top with denim track shorts, a small bag, and Jeffrey Campbell-inspired lace-up heels - three particular items that I thought matched the blue, green and pink colors of my top. ALSO, off-shoulder clothes need to be revived soon, I swear. Can’t get enough of them. <3

(Minimal top, Topshop pants, Time Depot Baby G x Ke$ha watch, Kookii Boutique bracelet, love.eyecandy bag, EMODA earrings) Hype this look on Lookbook here. 

Went for a all gold ensemble on 12/12/12 and the first day of My Own Fashion Week Indonesia! I got this shiny mosaic top from a lovely store called Minimal in Solo Paragon. No regrets with this purchase, as it is now my ultimate go-to top whenever I feel lazy to dress up. There’s nothing like a little shimmer to get you through everything. Even my watch is super shiny! :D