Oh hello...

Not sure whether this falls under 'style' but I sure do want a pair ;)

Dunhill kimono

Whilst I'm in Asia I might as well post about some stylish stuff in Asia. Example numero uno: the Dunhill kimono.

UK fashion house Dunhill, like so many other fashion houses, has its flagship store for Japan in the expensive Ginza district in Tokyo. They sell some items there that are not available anywhere else, and one of these is this Dunhill kimono for men.

It's a made-to-spec traditional Japanese kimono, manufactured using traditional Japanese craftsmanship in the Shiga prefecture near Kyoto. It comes at a price, like any Dunhill suit does, but sure looks great.

(source: http://www.businessoffashion.com/2008/07/dunhill-ginza-welcome-home.html)

Bow tie

Apparently there are two ways to tie a bow tie. Since the company's annual Christmas Ball is approaching, I better start practicing. I will print the instructions too, just to be sure...

I didn't think it was possible...

They've actually managed to combine the worst with the worst, and come up with something that only can be labeled as the worst²

THIS

PLUS THIS

GIVES US...

THIS!

Plastic Bling

The ultimate gay icon has now been turned into jewellery: designer Margaux Lange is turning Barbie dolls into jewellery. Hands, ear, lips, feet, it all gets used. Ken is there too, and even Barbie's fabulous stiletto's are turned into brooches.

Wondering if the Ken ring could turn into the ultimate gay wedding band...

More on http://www.margauxlange.com/ Her portfolio is just great.

Wear your car

Two interesting design projects caught my eye, and they have one thing in common: they both use material from cars which they use to make good looking, practical bags.

BeGooDesigns uses the leather and fabric of the car seats. They also build long-lasting relationships with their suppliers who are local artesans and employ fair business practices. Even if you're not too bothered with all that (though you know you should be!!), the bags sport quite decent designs. Practical, durable and with a design that appeals to a wide audience.

More on http://www.begoodesigns.com/

Second company is TING London. They make bags and accessories from recycled leather and... seat belts. Check out the orange bag, if that ain't cool I don't know what is. Cool bag and recycled material? It's a winner.

See the whole product range on http://www.tinglondon.com/#1X0

Phone book dress

Not practical really, but it certainly is a beautiful piece and shows amazing creativity. Jolis Paons made this dress entirely out of phonebook paper. Impressive.

Asymmetrical glasses

Asymmetrical glasses by Sugarkane Ochiali. Only available online (http://www.sugarkane.it/), but they ship worldwide. Think about it: no one has a perfectly symmetrical face, so why should your glasses be?

Uniqlo

Ah, my favourite Japanese brand has done it again. They made the great decision to collaborate with designers and artists to create a line of t-shirts that is very affordable (99 HKD) and very contemporary. It's a hit. Their 'Sorry I'm late' was very popular. I got myself a couple of these too, a.o. the 'Kept you waiting huh' and a cool Basquiat print.

Their logo is great too, designed by the same guy who designed the Tokyo perfume packaging for Kenzo. Will have to find out what his name is, can't remember.

Skip the little black number, go for big and colourful!

Ahh, relief: the high fashion peeps seem to remember that things done by hand and pièces uniques are so much more interesting than generic pieces. These dresses, made from silk that was painted by hand, are simply unforgettable. Dolce and Gabbana, with an ad campaign shot by Steven Klein.