The Life and Times of a Problem Child

Of Dots and Lace

  
This was one extremely humid day but it hardly became a disadvantage because I was enjoying taking photos with my friend Sam. All I could think of this day was how to have fun after a book report ate up my brain cells for a class (ouais, I'm exaggerating but sometimes book reports can be really stressful no matter how much you've enjoyed the book in the process). Other than that, polka dots are nice provided they aren't too big and it's interesting to have some lace in your ensemble de temps en temps (to show that I am a bit playful occasionally, I guess).
 
Specs: YSL, polka dot shirt: Zara, lace scarf: Bayo, ceinture: Paul Smith Jeans, jean: Cheap Monday, baskets: Dior homme.
 
Photo: Sam Cruz.

Refaire sa garde robe

As I came across these photos of Raphael taken by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, I suddenly was prompted by my not so apocalyptic desires to free my garde-robe of colour. And as if that is anything new to you unless this is the first time you've actually read my blog. Meanwhile from these ensembles below, the only thing I'll add would be a white shirt because I don't think I could live without one.

Alors, I also thought that the things Raphael is wearing in these photos, they'd be perfect for my ensembles for school. I do want to free myself of the burden of trying to make things match so the absence of colour and an affinity for noir could save me a lot of time and effort. It is particularly in the morning when you wake up but malheureusement your bed is still calling you and with eyes barely open, the last thought I could entertain is being in fashion or simply en plein forme. Eh ben, it would be a different thing if I was dressing up for an impending evening affaire. En tout cas, I think I should really be having my navy blazer or a black blazer (that fits me properly which I am still on the look out for and I could only wish this was from a designer I really love like Lanvin or Dries Van Noten but let's be more reasonable and think of something between The Kooples, A.P.C. or Topman) handy to make things dressier as I usually go to school in a grey/navy/black tee shirt with skinny jeans and baskets. Finalement, I might have talked so much about my laziness and the self-imposed rigour I am trying to perfect in sartorial terms. And I hope the last few sentences made sense.

I Might Be Running Out of Time

Bordel de merde! I still haven't gotten my hands on Marie Ndiaye's Trois femmes puissantes. And now, I hear that it is being adapted au cinéma. I am getting extremely anxious because of this. D'ailleurs, a guy named Christopher Perton will be the réalisateur in charge of this adaptation undertaking. What interests me most about this guy is that one of his projects is theatrical adapatation of a piece by Pier Paolo Pasolini (with that alone, you can sure get my attention). Eh ben, I also hope to come across more cinéma-related projects by Ndiaye (like her recent stint en collaboration avec Claire Denis) as this would be much too appealing pour un cinephile comme moi.

Classroom Invasion

 
When there's basically nothing left to do in school or in most cases, I am in denial that I have things to actually deal with, I look out for empty classrooms. And after finding one, it's either I hang out there with friends or take pictures of ourselves. It's very entertaining but not all the time.
 
Specs: YSL, nylon blazer: Reaction Kenneth Cole, chemise: Dunhill, scarf: Bayo, ceinture: Bench, jean: Zara, hosiery: M&S, baskets: Dior homme.
 
Photo: Sam Cruz.

Parce que!

 
Here's one of those uninspired days in school (but this wasn't as memorable as that day I was asked to leave the class because I was dozing of... and the class was Chinese Art so now you know why!!!). Once again, here we can put into details several aspects of the quotidien for someone like me: laziness, a kind of persistent melancholy, and a lot of noir (even my socks and trunks for this day were)!!!!
 
Specs: YSL, jacket: Izzue, fringe scarf: Debenhams, tee shirt en col v: Kenneth Cole, ceinture: Celio, montre: Casio, jean: Cheap Monday, hosiery: M&S, baskets: YSL.
 
Photo: Lee Catalasan Cepeda.

Dans un amusant désordre

At times, I'd like to think of art exhibits as some kind of entertaining or funny chaotic event. Peut-être this sentiment goes along my being blasé pour toujours. Art can be really interesting but when you get a certain kind of acquaintance with it, it can sometimes be exhausting. Too much of something is not always a good thing but then when I recall Anna Dello Russo's words which are: ''Nothing succeeds like excess'', I always seem to reconsider.

Like fashion, art is a love/hate thing. At times, I'm so motivated about being an art history student and finding time to attend art exhibits. On the other hand, there are times when I could really say ''je m'en fous!'' at the top of my lungs. It's really a matter of my disposition that day. At the end of the day, I'm always more often than not concerned about elevating myself and no one else. So, I do believe I should start somewhere between art critic or artist or cultural writer or cultural avant-garde? Meanwhile, here I am at an exhibit hosted by Manila Contemporary.
 
Specs: YSL, jacket: Izzue, chemise: Esprit, cravate: Zara, mock croc belt: Celio, jean: Zara, lace-ups: Tyler.
 
Photo: Jacob Kho, Gian Cruz.

Je me présente DAVID!

To someone like me, nothing beats the pleasure of acquiring new shoes (in terms of my fashion-related consumerism). I'm rather very amused with shoes having names now (or peut-être I've only been aware of it now) like this pair I got from Pirelli which they call David military boots. Plus, the two pairs of baskets I've purchased from Hugo Boss do have names too! On some other horizon, I do wonder what names Alexander Wang would utilise if in the event he decides to venture into men's shoes... haha!

Together with my new pair of shoes are my treasured stack of back issues of Monocle (which sadly is not available in Manille for quite a long time now), and a copy of Oeuvres complètes de Jean Genet.

Quick Nostalgie

It's time for a quick nostalgic trip avec Louis Malle's Les Amants. It's one of my favourite films and I do feel like looking back at it and re-live how I was captivated by Jeanne Moreau in this particular film. At the end of the day, I really would like to indulge myself in some kind of escape much in tune to the final  partie of this film.

Playlist no. 15

Songs with hints of mischief, melancholy and what have you.

Elodie Frégé: La fille de L'après-midi.

Corine Bailey Rae: I'd Do It All Again.

Skin Anansie: Secretly.

Mélanie Pain: If You Knew.

Karen Elson: The Ghost Who Walks.

Pierre Bondu: Mieux que personne.

A Touch of Neon

Well, this is rather a rare occasion- me, adding some neon to my very boring and restrictive colour palette. I must say, that it adds a certain air of audacity but not necessarily a hint of optimism on my behalf. Et alors, I seriously enjoy having my outfit photos inside toilettes.

Specs: YSL, polo shirt: Fred Perry X Comme des Garçons SHIRT, montre: Casio, jean: Zara, sac: Agnès B., baskets: YSL.

C'est à cause de la poésie

Words are often powerful enough to captivate me and send me into this state of trance. Poetry has that effect on me- a banal mixture of words that transcends into something subliminal and the ephemeral working its way against the trappings of this material world. Lee Chang Dong's latest offering seems to give me that kind of promise.

After a Long Day

 
It was a very tiring day. I ended up with a friend at our favourite burger joint in the wee hours(where the burgers are really cheap and most of all I love their buy one take one promo and for goodness' sake it's open 24 hours)- Burger Machine. Cheap food, major appetite after so much drinking, trying not to fall asleep while driving on my way home, and very exhausted from counting the pretentious people at an art exhibit I went to before this (myself included but nothing beats fashion editors here who talk about art it's like having Paris Hilton write on Olga Tolbreluts and how her favouring of neo-academism is relevant to our time): are some of the things I could think of in relation to these photos.

Specs: YSL, chemise: Esprit, jean: Zara, slip-ons: Vans.

Photo: Jacob Kho.

Senseless Fashion-Related Musings (for the NTH Tme...)

1.Go double breasted. I often fear that double-breasted looks tend to make my body look a bit boxy and it's just not a very good thing to see. Hopefully, my double breasted vintage blazer from Saint Laurent would do me good sartorial mileage. Et finalement, I have the latest campaign to inspire me further.

2. The charmed life of a worldly man. A nice big maison with a lot of books or shall I just say an extensive library. So, I shall be taking this campaign imagery from Bruuns Bazaar as something adhering to the ideal.

3. Versace's menswear division looks a bit classier because they utilised black and white for their latest ad campaign. It is needless to say I'd fall for it!

4. In line with my dressing up as a grown-up image building crap I'm into, this pair of taselled loafers from A.P.C. would be good for consideration.

5. I am never to fear or dread mixing black and brown. This time, I am taking the cue from Louis Garrel. At the end of the day, it really is about P-E-R-S-O-N-A-L-I-T-Y!!!!

6. Always or often inspiring: women in men's clothes or in masculine silhouettes. Sofia Coppola. Margaret Howell campaign.

7. Automne/Hiver essentials (although both do not exist in Manille): leather bomber with shearling collar from Matinique mixed with aviators (with leather detail) from Chloé.

8. Le smoking par John Richmond.
 
9. Head Porter X United Bamboo: very appealing, feels like that kind of aesthetic you'd see from the pages of Monocle. Je l'aime!!!

10. The right path towards opulence: Stefano Pilati as inspiration.

Bah Bah Bah to Corbijn

Well, upon knowing that Corbijn's latest project is avec George Clooney, I just lost every ounce of interest I have in him. Like Brad Pitt, George Clooney is one of those much hyped but not particularly good actors. So, let's just say BOF and wake up when Corbijn comes up with something that doesn't look tooo Hollywood. In whatever way we put it, my distinct sense of anti-americanism can never be denied.

Fringe Time

I'm quite amused by the fact that I finally have a nice fringed scarf in black that is of a light material. It's something I could use frequently. That is if the weather would allow me too. It's not always convenient to wear a scarf in Manille but that doesn't stop me from wanting a nice silk scarf from Hermès. It's something that's been on my mind for the past 3 mois. I really should have one!!!

Anyways, this was one of the most hectic of days in school (and outside of it) not because of the school work but rather because of the social activities. First, I stayed in school up to 21h30 in support of a friend's activity (and to entertain myself by means of making fun of someone aka someone in school I refer to as Mademoiselle Plouc... cue: EVIL laugh. Plouc is an adjective en français and it pretty much defines this individual who has been annoying me in school... en tout cas, when I stop hating it is equivalent to me not living...). And if things are always this hectic, I think I'm seriously gonna lose weight which will be ideal and when my mind is busy it is less self-destructive.

Specs: YSL, fringe scarf: Debenhams, cardigan: Zara, tee shirt en col V: Topman, montre: Casio, jean: Zara, baskets: YSL.

Photo: Tracy Santos.

How Conducive to a Daydream

I've been most fond of Self-Service sojourn into the realm of blogging. I've always liked how it is a fashion magazine yet it is not particularly just fashion. There's that inevitable cue from what they do and the visuals they provide that lead you elsewhere. I've grown wary of fashion for fashion's sake. It must be the persistent actuality of being an art student. Et alors, due to the images of holiday snapshots of certain individuals on their blog, it kind of led me into this vicious cycle of a giancinephile daydream- an escape from l'ordre du banal and an inevitable dose of superficiality. To further this, I put together a collage of the images I fancied from the Self-Service blog and create this imaginary/inspiration board for a metaphysical holiday (because I can't afford one) together with the books I love!!!! Enfin, don't you just love my bricollages?

ENJOY!!! XXXX

A Certain Beauty (I'm now More than Ready to Handle)

The first time I encountered Soviet Montage was when I was 17 (in a film class) and I wasn't too fucked up then, I hardly identified with it. But fast forward some 5 to 6 ans later, it all makes so much sense to me now.

In the context of the now, it would make sense parce que I think with a fragmented mind and the abrupt cuts (which you could say is somewhat reminiscent of some of Godard's works) adheres to the contemporary brain I have (meaning shorter attention span and often distracted by too many things all at once). In this regard, looking back at these stills from Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin, I am rather feeling that this film could pretty well manifest the present condition I am enduring. The pacing and the montage actually makes me realise even further how this is so relevant these days. D'ailleurs, this is post is somehow somewhat in defense of the contemporary brain for its inability to stay focused.

Getting Ready for the Weekend

It is a couple of days before the weekend but then I realised that my ensemble rather looks like someone who's preparing for the weekend. I'd indulge myself a little further and pretend as if I'm going to our metaphysical holiday home which is a two hour drive from Manille. And I shall be going there in my Range Rover (also metaphysical). And in this imaginary weekend escape: I'll have Seamus Heaney's poetry, two bottles of vin rouge, Marlboro Reds, a trusty pair of Tod's driving shoes to keep me company (because other than these things, I want solitude... or peut-étre it would be nice to escape la ville avec someone I could just have meaningful conversations with but solitude is more often than not very appealing for someone crazy like me).

Also, I think this is the longest by far that I've grown my hair as well...

Specs: YSL, lace scarf: Bayo, grey shirt: Zara, jean: Cheap Monday, hosiery: M&S, baskets: Dior homme, nylon caryall: Agnès b.

Photo: Tracy Santos.

Portraits de Sofia et Mauro

The Argentinian duo has been on my radar for over a year now. I always encounter the name Sofia et Mauro at my fave French publications and now I've decided it's high time I dedicated a post to one of my favourite photographers and focus on their portraits of celebrities (which I have been immensely fond of ever since I became aware of them). Ben alors, I'm rather getting dreamy and would want to become influential or in the same level of distinction as these individuals below to get the opportunity to have even just a photo taken by them. Let's just really hope my time will come. I seriously feel immobilised here in Manille (no matter how optimistic I try to be).

Meanwhile, if I was born half a decade or earlier, I'd probably aspire to having a portrait taken by Richard Avedon. So, let's enjoy the portraits below...

Isabel Carré.

Benjamin Biolay.

Mélanie Laurent.

Phoenix.

Nicolas Duvauchelle.

Anna Mouglalis.

Stefano Pilati.

Nicolas Ghesquière.

Etienne Daho.

Elodie Bouchez.

Andy Gillet.

Rufus Wainwright.

Kris Van Assche.

Philippe Utz.

Laura Smet.

Valérie Lemercier.

Clémence Poesy.

Pénélope Cruz.

It All Leads to...

All my curiosities at present currently lead me to Grégoire Chamayou's latest book, Les chasses à l'homme.

Peut-être I should make it a habit of being the first to read about a new philosopher and be the first one to read and utilise his/her idées in my university. I'm shameful to admit that a lot of the texts I read as an art history student are outdated. The most recent ones were written some 20 or thirty years ago. I should read these texts before there even is a traduction en anglais (I wouldn't be counting on it and english translations often suck big time)!!!! With that somehow (even in partiality would mean a lot) being accomplished, I could wear a smile comme Monsieur Chamayou, non?

When Bored, Shoot

Rien n'est changé encore: I'm constantly being bored in school and I have a professor who hardly teaches me anything new. It's like a weekly waste of time. I happen to call that class bordel de merde! It's very suiting, non? Apparently, it frankly is more interesting to visit a brothel and observe than sit in that class. D'ailleurs, I just couldn't accept the fact that this professor sided with a classmate's extremely stupid misreading of Baudelaire's flâneur! What's worse is that this prof actually made me look like I'm the one who's wrong. Oh! The kind of educators we have here!!!! I think next time; I'll just act like Vincent Gallo or Béatrice Dalle in Claire Denis' Trouble Every Day and let's see where things take me. In that way, I'd have my own peace of mind which is in the context of living a giancinephile fantasy.

Other than that, I could pretty much say: c'est chouette! There are other ways of not ruining your day and one of those would be to dress up and have a little photo shoot with a friend. There are basically a lot of nice spots to shoot in school and it always is a good thing.

Specs: YSL, leather blazer: Zara, tie: Zara, shirt: Woolworths, ceinture: Celio, jean: Cheap Monday, montre: Casio, baskets: Dior homme.

Photo: Lee Catalasan Cepeda.

Not Purely l'été

It certainly is not summer in this side of the globe mais il fait très chaud lately. The temperatures during the day time are almost like that in the quite recently concluded summer (which somehow feels like having its retour these past few days- temperature-wise and humidity levels-wise). So, comme d'habitude, the way a cinephile (comme moi) would look up to this predicament is look up to it with a certain air of superficiality and sartorial notes. Now, let's get things started.

Marcello Mastroianni dans La Dolce Vita de Federico Fellini: un air très cool et borderline nonchalance.

Steve McQueen: always impeccable and one who can make a shirt in orange look very sharp. I could never handle such colour and it is also because I have grown scared of colour over the past few mois.

The comic womaniser: Jean Dujardin as OSS 117.

De l'ancien règime avec un air anti-conformiste et paradoxicale: Fitzgerald.

Delon et Belmondo dans Borsalino: A bit of parallelism to a not-so-recent Alexander McQueen collection.

Ooooh-là-là! Jean-Claude Brialy dans Le genou de Claire: One film that reminded me how un homme d'un certain âge can look immensely sexy with a personalised take on style and an air of confidence and intelligence. In these times, I believe I could relive this cinephile fantasy by going on holiday with Véronique Nichanian's subtly edgy and extremely luxurious offerings chez Hermès. I can't afford this fantasy just yet though! (And this is one of my all-time faves from Eric Rohmer!!!)
 
And if ever I'd be taking that holiday, I won't be shaving parce que I'll be growing some serious stubble!!!!!!!!

Burt Lancaster: reminding me to always opt for my black Speedos over board shorts! C'est pour toujours!!! Haha

Les chariots de feu: Un air sportif et old school. Je l'aime!!!!!

Vittori de Sica's : Old school elegance that never fails to amuse me. I have always had this dream of having a maison that's near a forest and there are several trails for you to enjoy. It would be perfectly convenient too since I often like to be alone and while I'm walking I'll be in a nice cashmere pull from Loro Piana and old-school trainers.

Finalement, the definitive look as seen on Bernard Giraudeau dans L’année des méduses. A nice white shirt paired with chinos when worn right can be extremely seductive.

So, there you have it my superficial way of dealing with the unappealing summer-like heat that has been plaguing Manille instead of the slightly cooler temperatures of the supposedly monsoon saison.

In Dreamy Mode

Ooooooh-là-là! Now, I'm in dreamy mode again after coming across these stills from Eric Rohmer's Les Amours d'Astrée et de Céladon, which sadly was his last film before he bid adieu to us last year. And it was immensely painful for a cinephile like me. 

To be quite honest, I just didn't expect something like this from Rohmer. I've gotten so used to his films set in the present or the present adhering to the times wherein his films were made. En tout cas, a Rohmer film is one I often identify with. This time though, I seem to be lost in a nostalgic kind of euphoria playing along with a certain mélange of jeu, eroticism, and escapism.

The white gauzy pieces the actors are wearing here tend to induce a kind of légèreté that even if it is in the sartorial sense would de-clutter my mind from all the dreadful things I've been dealing with of the late. As we all know, I'd like to contradict myself so when I'm really depressed or troubled, I dress up even more or in such case when I feel so burdened with so many things resting on my shoulders, I'd like a bit of légèreté manifested over some part of me. So, in this Rohmerian territory, I kind of see these free flowing clothes as a kind of aid in my de-stressing or lightening up goal. It's much like cheering up although with the disenchantment I have with me (permanently programmed within me), it's never going to be as happy as I'd want it to be. The contemporary world poses great amounts of limits and depression, really. So, in my search for this lightness, a change of scenario is also crucial. For now, I can try and dress up with that notion of légèreté in mind. I'm wearing white today instead of my usual all black ensemble for school.

Of Wants and Self-Imposed Constraints

Reliability is a very important issues for grown-ups or for people pretending to be a grown-up (comme moi). Or maybe I just easily associate being of a certain age to stability and the need for things you can depend on. In this case, I do wish there are more stores within my reach here in Manille that cater to things that are very me. Case in point: The Kooples.

When I mean very me, some things that are to be taken into consideration: clothes that are perfect for lazy dressing (like the I'm in a hurry on my way to school kind of vibe which I often live by thanks to my love for procrastination, a colour palette I identify with (black, white, grey, navy blue, neutrals, and somewhere in between), and that tendency towards classics or classics with a twist. By now, I do believe I'm not the best person to talk to about fashion as my personal style lately directs me to a certain rigour or discipline. It only rests on a sartorial level as my mind is always fucked up thanks to overthinking things. So, somehow by constraining myself with a kind of minimalism with my clothes then perhaps I could contradict myself to contain myself somehow. Whatever it may be, I need a garde-robe consisting of 60% The Kooples. That would make life so much better for me.

Le Signe de Lion

I must admit that as the days progress, I am pursuing further my allegiance to the ancien régime. Donc la haute couture is something that fascinates me to a greater extent these days. Apparently, I take it much more seriously that I get distracted when a certain créateur doesn't show for this particular season. D'ailleurs, I'm puzzled about Anne-Valérie Hash not showing pour automne-hiver 2010!!!!

Now, bring out snottiness at its finest and your likeliness to elevate yourself and situate yourself in an ivory tower. Et puis, you should spend those moments in couture (too bad there isn't haute couture pour les hommes but a Kilgour made to measure costume would be more than enough!!!!). En tout cas, je suis tres fasciné avec  les sensibilites de l'ancien régime (evidement). D'ailleurs, this sole menswear look chez Chanel got my attention. I'm rather thinking this is a part snazzy, part fantasy driven costume for Halloween. Doesn't it also somehow evoke Jean Cocteau like airs?? haha

Oh well, too much haute couture for me lately! haha

Yes, We Can Hang Out!

People mistake me for taking school seriously. Franchement, I'm one of the biggest slackers (so don't bother trying to ask me about my studying habits- it's non-existent or shall I refer to it as metaphysical!!!). On the other hand, I'm the postgraduate student who a lot of people mistake for as an undergrad and finds it really appealing to live by it. It's like an excuse for me to slack, have more freedom, and be delinquent. Life as a postgraduate student is not often so exciting so something like this mistaken identity kind of brings back my jeunesse as for the longest time I feel like a 40 year old man trapped in the body of a 20-something.

This time around, I was hanging out with one of my favourite slags in the whole of Manille, Celine. So, when I do not have classes or the occasional cutting class scheme, I'm often here and there hanging out with people, having meaningful conversations over cigarettes, and doing a bit of provoking. And the rest I leave for your imagination if ever there is anything left to imagine.

 
Shirt: Woolworths, slim tie: Zara, montre: Casio, ceinture: Celio, jean: Cheap Monday, baskets: Dior homme, lunettes: YSL.

Photo: Sarah Javier. 

Le nouveau choc de Vinterburg

Now, here's something interesting that's new and that's from Thomas Vinterburg. And in the context of being a cinephile, I always have a tendency to have a curiosity over films with a laurel like ones that says that this film competed in Cannes or ones that say it was part of some darned high profile film festival out there. Case in point: this one. It was a part of the official selection for the Berlinale!

Lazzzzzzzzy Time (More Like Exhausted...)

This is one of those unmotivated days in school. It was partly because of going back and forth different libraries all over the school campus in search of certain titles by Jean Baudrillard and Jean-Francois Lyotard (which was really exhausting). However, I was glad I got the books I wanted and the books I needed. We all know how bad of a student I am meaning I often tend to read things that get my attention over those that I really have to deal and get down with. D'ailleurs, that's really a creative kind of procrastination, I do believe so.

Specs: YSL, tee shirt: 5 cm, jean: Zara, baskest: Paul Smith.

At the end of the day, I loosened up a little over a few sticks of Marlboro Reds and reading an interview with Romain Duris in an old issue of Crash.