DDomino
Domino Volume 1 Magazine Spring Summer 2013 Editor in Chief Samuel HOANG Art Director Tyler PHAN Creative Director Thang PHAN Consulting Editor Lily HO Fashion Editor Gap LE
CContents 6 Express Yourself 14 Brick Lane 18 Another Oh-riental Spirit 28 Rumor sucks, life does go on
EEditor’s Letter
Art, Fashion, Culture are like the game Domino, they are linked to each other, inspire each others and they are as striking as human imagination. Domino Magazine brings the reality of cultures, the superficial aspect of fashion, and the creativity of contemporary and fine arts whereas let others share various experiences . Our very first issue is to celebrate the coming of new year after the end of the world rumors, old cliche, new beginning that everyone has to take on .. Tyler Phan
Express Yourself photography Tyler Phan stylist Thang Phan make up rtist Lily Ho model Georgia Crowie
Shoes Kurt Geiger Skirt Topsho Wasitcoat Maison Martin Margiela
Rottweiler Jumper Givenchy Asymetric Knitwear Acne Hats Rick Owens
Necklace Topshop Blazer Ann Demeulemesteur Shorts Miss Selfriedges
Glasses Opening Ceremony Necklace Topshop Sweatshirt Kenzo Trouser Damir Doma Shoes Bryan Blake
Sweatshirt Kenzo Glasses Opening Ceremony Necklace Topshop
Earings Topshop Waitscoat Unconditional Belt Paul Smith Skirt TTopshop Boots Ann Demeulemesteur
Necklace Topshop Waistcoat Maison Martin Margeila Skirt Topshop Shoes Kurt Geiger
Brick Lane
Words Thang Phan Photography Samuel Hoang
There’s no need introduction for Brick Lane but full of color and noise, this area is a fiery blend of the historic culture and modernity. It attracts London’s young and creative alike, stuffed with magnetic fashion stores, London’s most prominent bagel bakeries as well as flood of trendy bars and cafes. In the heart of Bangladeshi community, most immigrants are the Bangladeshis who arrived in UK in the early seventeenth century. With the frequent immigration of Huguenot Refugees, Irish, Ashkenazi Jews and Bangladeshis, the area became the center for tailoring and clothing industry. Back in the 17th century Brick Lane was initially fruit and vegetables market but in the 1990s it became home to a host of independent music businesses, small shops and hip clubs and bars.
Strolling alongside the main path of Brick Lane unveils an intriguing spectrum of street art. The portrait of a longhair girl has been carved out of the plaster on one wall. A couple of cobalt and neon yellow aliens standing in recessed doorway gazing at you or a giant, detailed drawing of rat across the end of a row of terraces. The art is giving the street’s tatty buildings a new attitude. This creativity for the walls became eternal public art. Before the dusk, Brick Lane now fills with fashionistas in bold alternative fashions – from dreamy vintage look with braided basket to three quarter length wool trousers and Dr Martin boots. It’s inspiring and gathering people with a common passion for sharing their experience; Brick Lane endures the soul and image of its diversity, dynamicity creative community that is London. The more you wander the alleys, and its back roads the more you will perceive from Brick Lane. It's rough, unrefined, a bit wild, and soaked with the best of London's rich music and fashion scene. Brick Lane is also home to some of the best vintage stores around, and there are tons of vendors selling various odds and ends. Lively music and colourful street art on every corner. Its appeal also boosted by the coming of pop-up markets, edgy clubs and ever-increasing student population. Early on Friday morning as usual, Britain’s Brick Lane hastes with Bangladeshis leading to prayers at the local mosque. The women in brightly coloured saris while the men put on don long pastel robes, looking striking as they stride along the worn London streets. A bit later, they are all gone and what your feel of the street has totally made over with the arrival of hipsters with slicked over retro haircuts and black skinny jeans. Just like the stars of alternative music videos, people with a sunglasses lounge outside on benches under a sunny day by the cafes and drinking cans of beer. Brick Lane epitomizes that mingling of different cultures and rich multi-layered history that make London so special. London isn’t the only city to be claimed very multicultural, but the way it mixes tastes and traditions feels splendid. Coming to Brick Lane you are immediately greeted with a strong attack of eccentricity and choices of curry restaurants on all your senses. It seems like Brick Lane comes to you as you walked down the street lined with variation of the traditional
restaurants, it’s not rare but different as the curry restaurant greeter in front of his door never offering you a deal worse than the guy before him as you pass by. Undoubtedly this is the curry capital of Europe. Each restaurant found in the Brick Lane has a complete hand on the taste and variety of gourmet foods. The street is packed with the prominent such as Le Taj Restaurant, Chillies, The Bombay Cuisine, Sheeba Tandoori Restaurant, The Eastern Eye Restaurant, Brick Lane Brasserie and the Bengali Cuisine.
Significantly renowned for the street fashion and it is the perfect place for the fashion freak people who are searching the fancy and the most unique items. Every turn you made can lead you to a variety of snappy vintage stores filled with countless selections of phenomenal worn-in leathers boots & purses and plenty of things that you don’t really need, but you just must look. The area is loaded with mostly young artist students, so there are great little surprising art pieces everywhere as well as amazing student shows that you can walk into and check out. It is the hidden gem in the London, an ideal place to seek a bargain with the Spitalfields Market for the fashion freaks. These shops are overwhelmed with the antique furniture, oddity clothes, smelly leather bags, ethnic hand-made stuffs and punky accessories. The specialty of this market is that anything can be found here from the historical books to the contemporary ones, and from the antique furniture to the stylish and modern one. Every Sundays are like festivals in Brick Lane where there is a bunch of people from the planet. People escape from nowhere with their own luggage cases fully packed of personal things to sell. Many are more willing to share their experiences with you if you spark a conversation about the items they are selling. It operates every Sunday at 10 am till 5 pm. Even though the shops and other delights are open daily but Sunday represents the different allurement for the people who love exploring outdoor activity. Without the feature of street performance the Sunday market will not fuel up the people and creates the lively and the vibrant atmosphere. The market also is a great chance for young designers to show their abilities and such stalls show a full range of unique designs that are handmade by the stallholders. Nothing depicts the appealing Brick Lane better than Sunday, where anything vaguely fascinating is spread on tables or racks for people to browse. You talk, you share, you become friends with everyone you meet other market traders also become part your family: you look after each other’s stalls, you lend hangers and you silently rejoice for one another when someone gets a sale. It's the community. The crowd is assorted and Brick Lane has become animated. One of Brick Lane’s highlight is Beigel Bake, opens 24 hour a day 7 days a week a yearlong. It produces over 6000 bagels everyday baked in the traditional Jewish style with only 25p for a bagel and filled bagels with yummy kosher fillings range up to about £1.70. On the left in back of the shop are usually five bakers, some of them working here in the kitchen since the age of 15 who are at intense pace amongst foggy steam to produce thousands beigels, as they do every day throughout the year. Beigels boiled in a vat of hot water were scooped up in a black mesh basket, doused generously with cold water, and then arranged neatly onto narrow
wet planks inserted into the ovens. No matter the temperature out there is but it is suffocating here in the steamy atmosphere of the kitchen where the expeditious bakers push themselves to the limit, as they hauled great armfuls of dough out of the big metal basin in a rush, plonking it down, kneading it eagerly, and chopping it up as quick as they can, then using scales to divide it into lumps sufficient to make twenty beigels -before another machine separated them into beigel-sized spongey balls of dough, ripe for transformation. Starving late night owls line up here all night, they come in spotty waves, insomniacs or party animals, hipster or sleepwalkers, police and dodgy dealers. Some can ‘t manage to stand properly after drinking all night in and out, others are just trying not collapse their eyes because they are so tired, some can barely control their joy and others can barely conceal their misery. At times, it was like the mental hospital and other times it was like people coming to a funeral. When the beigels come, they slice, fill them, they count and they sort lastly. And there is another guy standing behind the counter, he checks every beigel personally to make sure the quality great and throw away any that are too small or too toasted, in unhesitating behaviour. The East End London seems to be like the most beautiful place to live in the world. The urban beauty of the area, the people, chatty sound in every corner, color of the mural and graffiti, intriguing atmosphere, all the things that surround the area makes it worth living that spices up the spirits and puts a smile on faces with the start of everyday. The people found there represent the different colors, customs, rituals and traditions. Brick Lane represents the bustle neon bright road that is bursting with the different personalities that contributed in the leisure facilities, arts and entertainment in the short walk of the city. The people who visits the Brick Lane once wants to visit it for more as they do not forget the taste of gourmet food, lively days and the beat of night clubs as the entire area portrays the uniqueness through the multi cultural people, cuisine, fashion, fine arts, nightclubs, brick lane markets and the festivals. It is just a diverse and friendly environment.
Another OH-riental Spirit Tyler Phan Photography
Rumor Sucks, Life Does Go On Photography Tyler Phan