Just another colette blog

A BLOG-AZINE

EXPLORING REAL LIFE AND RUNWAY FASHION

WHERE PERSONAL STYLE MEETS EDITORIAL CONTENT.

LIVE BLOGGING, INTERVIEWS, VIDEOS, AND FASHION PERSONALLY SELECTED AND WORN BY FASHION EDITOR TIFFANY GODOY

IMMEDIATE, EDITED, AND CREATED FOR THE INTERNET.

TIFFANY X LANVIN S/S 10

To kick off my gloriously decadent -and semi-egotistic- blog-azine TIFFANY X I start straight at the top, the Lanvin showroom in Ginza.

Last year marks the brands 120^th anniversary, making it the oldest couture house on the block. If you can stick around that long you gotta be doing something right cherie. And boy, designer Alber Elbaz treats the ladies sooo well. If you haven’t slipped into one of his dresses before, indulge yourself. Absolute pleasure incarnated.

This season’s theme: Fusion Haute Tension. I couldn’t describe the hour I spent in the showroom any better.

Today, I have become a REAL WOMAN! In the few seconds it takes to zzzzzzip this washed stretched linen number (look 2 lanvin.com) from the hem in an upward spiral to the nape of my neck, I am transformed. THIS is what a dress is supposed to feel like! And just ONE calfskin glove for an i-phone using girl like me, thank you. So mind-scramblingly HOT I can’t even keep my eyes open.

But wait it gets better, a miracle in red ultra fine aged calfskin leather is waiting for me (look 22). HELLO, where have you been all of my life? The top and skirt flow over my body like I am wearing air. How can leather drape so perfectly…and how can I put this into my bag without anyone noticing?

My musician friend Detto came along for the ride today (he is DJing at Fancy Him in Tokyo on Saturday 2/6 by the way). Isn’t he cute in Lanvin Homme (look 5)? One-shoulder crepe dress worn with a serious viper necklace, bracelet, and dunno-whatchya-call-it hanging on my belt (look 30). Reminds me of the King Tut exhibition I just saw in San Francisco. Call me Neferettiti.

Voila, my picks for Lanvin SS 10!

Best of the season series continues next week… working out technical difficulties…will try to get this to you live soon!

www.lanvin.com

Photos, Hair and Make-up Tomoko Okada / AKA Management

Japanese version  http://blog.dropsnap.jp/tiffany/

Ahhh, to be young, gorgeous, and IN CHARGE.

Yumi and Fuyuri are street level celebrities. What makes them extra gorgeous is that they seem oblivious to this fact. These petite fashion dominatrixes live in a special little world all their own. Two floors down. In a Shibuya basement…with floors inspired by The Shining.

Sister.

Yumi, the shop director and head buyer, is straight out of a Japanese version of Dynasty…with complex Goth undertones. Fuyuri, the assistant manager and sometimes buyer, is all Japon-esque with razor sharp features and a nice dose of built-in stiletto height. They take turns traveling the world rummaging through mountains of old clothes on a quest for sartorial gold. (What I wouldn’t give for a peep of them elbow deep…).

Stylistically, they can work an 80’s brides maid dress with a Haider Ackerman bondage pant and a pair of used Steve Madden heels and look f-i-n-e. One woman’s swap meet reject is another’s piece de resistance.

Sisters share secrets. Sisters borrow each other’s clothes. Sisters can be cruel…pull each other’s hair (at least that is what my sister and I did). Sister Tokyo makes me spend my money and inspires the hell out of me. Especially these two.

Sister’, do tell?

Y: ‘Sister’ is a feminine fashion getaway. A place where girls come to buy unique vintage and new clothing (like Erickson Beamon accessories!) and get swept away into our fantasy world…

‘Frankenstein is made from many different parts. If you could construct your own perfect fashion icon, what parts would you take from whom?

Y: I would take the creative discipline of Osamu Tezuka, the face of Marlene Dietrich, the fashion sense of Nancy Cunard, and the positivity of Yoko Ono.

What do Tokyo girls..your followers… need to know that they don’t?

F: Yeah, that knowing what they stand for can be as hot as looking good.

How would you describe your style?

Y: Shiny, glittery! If it is fur, sequins, lame, beads, glitter, fringed, or black I’ll take it.

F: Minimal chaos.

What are 3 things you do every day?

Y: Drink 2 liters of water, think about Sister, and watch a film before bed.

F: Read, clean and play with my dog.

Paris or New York or Tokyo, why?

Y: Tokyo. I know the world is full of amazing cities but, if you see the film ‘Zigeunerweisen’ directed by Seijun Suzuki, the answer is quite obvious…

F: I have fantasies about Paris, but Tokyo is THE place.

If you had to become a gyaru, geisha or Gothic Lolita, which would it be and why?

Y: Geisha. Because it is a one time decision that you make and dedicate yourself too. Cant just decide to become one whenever you want.

F: Geisha. Since it takes discipline and hard-core ambition.

What perfume are you wearing?

Y: Bell En Women by Sonia Rykiel.

F: Antidote and Flowerbomb, both by Victor & Rolf.

If you could put a video camera anywhere for a day- where would you put it and why?

Y: Space. Don’t think I will ever get the chance to get up there myself.

F: Inside my dog’s house. What does he do when he is home alone?

What do you like most about yourself? Least?

Y: My positivity. Least about myself… I would like to think there is nothing…if I start thinking about this I am worried too many things will pop into my head!

F: I like the lines in the palm of my hand. The ones that tell the future!

What is in your bag right now?

Y: A computer, a wallet, a make-up pouch, a mobile, an i-pod, a novel by Hyakken Uchida, a badge which my friend the artist Yu Akinaga made.

F: A wallet, cigarettes, a cigarette case, toothbrush set and a Daikichi (charm from a temple) I got from Omikuji.

Who is your current girl crush? Boy crush?

Y: Kenichi Hagiwara. And you, Tiffany!

F: Ringo Shiina for a woman. Guy… I don’t know.

What did you have for lunch today and where?

Y: Curry bread at Sister.

F: Salad in the back room.

If you were going to take me, or someone you wanted to impress on a date in Tokyo, where would we go and what would we do?

Y: First to a cafeteria in some university to eat until we get really full. Then we’d walk around Jinbo-cho and wander the used book shops or CD stores. At the end of the day we would show off what we got over coffee in a café.

F: Asakusa. We’d while away the hours at Hana Yashiki.

52 Girls.

A girl a week (or so).

Influencers. Newbies. Hotties. Eccentrics. Legends…and legends in the making. Mademoiselles ya know and senoras ya don’t. The girls that make things happen in Tokyo, Paris, LA, and wherever my travels take me.

The only way Shoko Nakamura is like most of us girls is that she started dancing ballet because her mom wanted her to be graceful. But unlike most of us, she stuck with it.

Ballerinas: fragile confections, tutu-ed fantasy in pink. Like cake decorations! But how much hard work does it take to embody tradition, and perfection?

Few make it to the top, not many Japanese girls…maybe because they are not tall enough, disciplined enough, or good enough. But the ones that do are T-O-U-G-H.

Shoko has been dancing ballet since the age of 6. She moved to Europe alone to train when she was 16. Thousands of hours of practice later and at age 27 she became the principal ballerina at the Berlin Ballet (Staatsballett Berlin) where she has been for the past 7 years.

Didjya know that ballet dancers toe shoes are so fragile they need to be repaired after every dance session, and that the dancers sew them up themselves? … How do their bodies take the  twirling and jumping around on their toes for like 8 hours a day when their shoes can’t…OUCH. And I thought a night out at the club in Louboutins was tough…

What are three things you do everyday?

My day at the studio starts at 10:30; so I get there before and get ready, have a lesson. Start rehearsal at 12:00. That is until 14:00. The next one is 14:30 so have a 30-minute break. Then on a long day we go all the way until 20:00. Maybe work on a few more things until 21:00. Get home, fix my toe shoes, eat something, do a massage, sleep…and do the same thing all over again the next day.

Ballerinas are icons of beauty, and perfection. What does it take? Are you more obsessed with beauty, diet, and image like the rest of us girls?

It may look like that. Everyone gives us flack and always say ‘I bet you don’t eat anything’, or think we get facials all the time. Hello! Like I have the time for that type of stuff! Ha ha. And do you know how much we sweat?! Make-up would be dripping down my face and onto my partner’s clothes!

I just wish I could dress like a ballet dancer at rehearsal, maybe a fantasy left over from too many viewings of Flashdance. Tell us about ballerina fashion.

We are always practicing, function is important. But within that world we all make a certain amount of effort with our style… and try express ourselves with earrings, or accessories. And with leg warmers and leotards with a special kind of cut or design. I love Chacott dancewear. But the dancers in Europe really get creative with stuff from Zara or H&M, customizing t-shirts or wearing tights with patterns.

What do you like to eat?

In the morning if I eat too much I cannot move well. So I keep it light, like a banana or coffee. During the break I don’t really eat. But it is not that I am depriving myself, I don’t really want anything. I just make sure I get enough vitamins though. I have a proper meal in the evening. Usually Japanese, I love, or else Asian type of food.

What is your favorite junk food! C’mon there has to be something naughty you do…

….Hmmmm…I love going to cafes. Sometimes a muffin? Cinnamon. I mean I want to eat it, but it always comes back… I mean I will not be able to dance well that day, so it is not worth it. When I think about that I can say no. When I first moved abroad there was so many new treats I had never had before, and I was homesick too so I gained a lot of weight. Then I understood what I needed for balance. At that time I had a lot of injuries. Rather than eat a proper meal I would eat a bunch of snacks, didn’t get enough vitamins and I suffered for it.

What is the first thing you notice at when you see a woman?

Maybe it is because I am a ballet dancer, but I notice the aura and the way she moves. Her atmosphere rather than what she is wearing. You can see how a person takes care of themselves, and how they feel about themselves…

What do you like most about yourself?

Not sure if it is my favorite part… its more of a complex that I had when I started out. I felt like I didn’t have a ballerina’s form. But one of my teachers told me that as long as a dancer’s arms and neck are long there is no problem. Ha ha, from there everyday I streeeeetched my neck. So, that part of my body is a result of being really aware and practicing and working to create a beautiful neck, so I am pretty proud of it…

What perfume are you wearing?

It is something I bought when I went to Nice recently. It’s some mark that can only be found in Nice that is partially why I bought it. “Reve de Nice”. I always carry perfume with me…ha ha we ballet dancers are very into our perfumes! I mean, when we girls dance with the male dancers…we want to leave an impression. Even though…many of the guys…are ummm not interested in girls ha ha haaaa!

Who is your current crush?

But up until now my existence was all about ballet. My own world. But recently I started seeing someone and it has such an effect on me, and my dancing! I have grown so much, and people have even commented on a change in my movement. So…him! And how perfect since I am performing as Juliet for the second time in Tokyo in October. I think there will be a real difference. I once played her when I was younger, this will be a different Juliet. More experienced…

Black Blooded Royal.

She takes another deep drag from that Marlboro Red. Then another, and another.

Seems like nothing can penetrate through the mask of long fringe covering her eyes and the soft armor of clothes that drape her body tonight. Red tipped manicured nails, long. One. Two. Three…four…five…six…seven tattoos. Limi Yamamoto looks like a bad ass.

But she is sipping Jasmine tea. Meanwhile I am getting drunk on wine.

We like multi-dimensional women. Depth and mystery, yes please. And Limi has that for days. In a contrast to her image, she is ultra-talkative, she even giggles. She is a mom of two. She plays big sister to her employees. And she is not in this fashion game for fame. Limi sees it as her duty to succeed to help support Japanese factories and textile companies before old techniques and traditions die out.

The black-blooded fashion royal- who was once a gutter punk rebel -is now the head of a business formed through an alliance with the enemy (aka dad). Sure her clothes may also carry the Yohji DNA “its to be expected” she says “I trained under him.” But she has spread her own wings, the eagle tattoo that spans the breadth of her back proves it.

She designs and cuts patterns to Metallica, has been showing and wearing HIGH HEELS, and lately is painting her lips luscious RED. Bet you don’t do THAT Yohji Yamamoto.

What do you do?
I am in training…for life. My work, life, my parents, my two children…it has to do with my previous lives. A psychic told me in a past life I was a Buddhist monk-a woman- who worked very hard. Before that, I was a geisha! What completely different lives I thought. My image of geisha was they just boozed it up and were with men for money. Priests can’t drink, can’t have sex…totally opposite! But I realized geisha work really hard and have a lot of discipline to train in the arts to entertain. And priests wake up really early, and train every morning. Man, it made me laugh! But then I thought, neither a geisha nor a priest can have children so I had a kid for both of them! One boy, one girl. I mean, why the hell would I have two kids while I am trying to build a business? Only one year apart.

You seem like a very strong person. When are you most confident?
10 minutes before the show starts. That is the most fun. It happens 4 times a year….but right after the show I am a mess!! Ha ha.

What did you eat for lunch today?
McDonalds. Yesterday I went out for lunch with some of the young members of the team. So, today I wanted to have a quiet lunch and be mellow today. I had a fish burger, of course with French fries, and ice tea. I don’t drink soda. Ate at my desk…

At 16 what was your soundtrack?
Punk. Japanese punk I love, but at 16 I listened to Metallica, Chaos UK, Discharge. Ah, I just got so shy admitting this! But wait, I just remembered in junior high the first album I bought-PAUL MCCARTNEY! So cool, right? And check out the second one. LIONEL RICHIE! Haaaaa!

What if black disappeared, what color would you wear and use for the clothes you design?
Red. My favorite color is navy, but recently I love red. I make red pants. It can be sexy and it can be strong, red is a really special color for women I have realized.

What is feminine to you?
To put it simply Pina Bausch and Patti Smith are my ideal style of woman. The way I dress has been influenced by them.

How many times have you worn a kimono?
I have worn them a lot. I studied the koto and was on the way to being a professional, I was asked to go to Kyoto but backed out. So I would wear a kimono for those performances. I only own 3. I can’t afford to buy more, they are very expensive.

What is the best part of being Yohji’s daughter?
Hmm. I get to meet a lot of famous people. That’s about it. Ha ha ha. Pina Bausch was the ultimate. Oh, and Lou Reed too.

If you could be a gyaru, Lolita, or a geisha…..
GEISHA! Absolutely geisha. If I tried being a gyaru or Lolita I don’t think I would come out of it learning anything. Geisha start training from 13. By 18 they learn how to play the shamisen, the koto, learn how to dance and sing. Then they become Maiko. Then after that a Geisha. Then after that there are a few paths in life. I go to Kyoto a lot, and each time I call the Giesha. It is so interesting, they are ultra smart, quick. One reason is, they are not allowed to have a cell phone, or watch tv, they just practice. Definitly GEISHA! This guy who made business cards for geishas, now mostly the geisha use stickers, but this is the traditional style made some for me. I love them.

What guys or girls do you have your eye on at the moment?
Amy Winhouse. And Lady Gaga. They are both so cheeky. And for guys….the vocalist from Metallica, and the new bassist.

If you were going to take me…or someone you wanted to impress…on a date in Tokyo where would we go and what would we do
Go to Yoyogi Park or Meiji shrine. I don’t know, it is just so pretty there…ha ha. Then maybe at night to Le Baron and stay all night… oh, maybe get something to eat before, at Narukiyo, then walk to Le Baron.

52 Girl fans.

Puleez excuse the delay.

A girl who wanted to be one of the sacred 52 (and was DENIED)… kidnapped me…ya that’s it… and I have been unable to update. Me and my heels escaped and are back in action.

Comin’ back soon with the best of the best, I only have your best interests at heart after all.

Your faithful chronicler

of influencers. Newbies. Hotties. Eccentrics. Legends…and legends in the making. Mademoiselles ya know and senoras ya don’t. The girls that make things happen in Tokyo, Paris, LA, and wherever my travels take me.

52 Girls….

Keep it hot.