1 / sept & oct 14 / versatility
NINTH
contents
note They say fake it till you make it, so here goes nope, no butterflies in the stomach at all. For the very first issue, I wanted to touch on the topic of versatility. To be able to adapt or make the best out of everything you have is something I greatly respect. With that, this issue features the fabric that has proven itself to be powerfully versatile in fashion and jewelry designer, Kylie Nakao. Kylie is one of my favourite designers who I have always admired from afar for the ability to make the best out of her diverse family and educational background. It was thrilling to be able to interview her and to have such a respectable individual as a part of my first issue. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for making it here. What you see here are actually my dreams on [digital] paper. Journalism has always been a passion and I am eternally grateful to my family and friends for pushing me to doing something I never imagined I would do 7 years ago. Most of all, thank you to the team for travelling far and wide, and making this 11 yearold dream come alive. Here‘s to more issues and continuous faking till I make it! Lots of love.
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Topshop shirt/ Vintage scarf/ Vintage Shirt
cover story
You hopped on the bandwagon ever since your mom let you run in the playground in Osh-Kosh dungarees, and not once have you said “those were the days� when the time came to look through pictures of you in a denim jacket. Cards on the table, let us all admit that denim has never stopped haunting our wardrobes. And you really like that. (Continued on page 6)
Here: Abercrombie & Fitch cardigan / vintage Levi's cut shorts Next page: Uniqlo shirt/ Zara dungaree/ Ezra slip ons/ Topshop bracelets
There are few left in this world
to kid when it comes to denim’s rising popularity. Since its debut in the 1800s as a uniform to miners and other heavy-manual workers alike, the iconic fabric has seen its way through contradicting episodes - from becoming a symbol of glamour to being the iconic tool for rebellion in the 1960s. Yet even with its fair share of controversies, the fabric has undoubtedly created a section for itself in countless apparel stores.
Michaela Bercu gracing a Christian Lacrouix couture jacket with a pair of Guess denim jeans simply because “the skirt didn’t fit”. Recounting that event on the official Vogue.com blog, she continued, “it only served to reinforce the idea to take couture’s haughty grandeur and playfully throw it headlong into real life”. The unanticipated switch might have been one of smartest moves in fashion, giving the practical fabric no reason to back down since then.
In 1988, Anna Wintour published her very first Vogue cover with
While trends evolve, denim has survived all of it - being twist-
ed, torn, painted on (literally by Margiela) and thrown into the controversial spotlight of whether pairing it with Birkenstocks will do it good. Celebrities have even deemed it red-carpet friendly - Victoria Beckham, Britney Spears and Katy Perry, just to name a few. Denim has seen itself through the longest journey, reigning as a reminder that fashion may reject something one day, and perhaps - love it the next.
Q interview
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behind TARIN THOMAS If there is a designer with a global background, think Kylie Tarin Nakao. Born in Toronto with Japanese blood and starting her jewelry brand in New York - the designer found an interest in creating “modern, wearable pieces in new stone and metal combinations.” In May 2013, Tarin Thomas (a merge of Kylie’s brother’s and her middle name) found its home in the heart of Manhattan’s Lower East Side. I got the chance to interview Kylie and she could not have proven better that Tarin Thomas will definitely go far- just like her background.
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The courses you’ve studied angle towards the business sector more than fashion design-have you ever pictured yourself being a designer before this? Kylie: Yes, I studied both Communications and Fashion Marketing/ Merchandising, until now the last time I thought I was going to be a ‘fashion designer’ was when I was 7 years old designing clothes for my barbies. I think I am both creative and business minded, which has been a huge help in starting my own business. I always wanted to have my own business but I did not think it would be in design. But having that extra element of creativity makes my job so much more exciting.
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I notice that you enjoy What’s your go-to trend using the phrase “only at the moment? Baggy time will tell”. Is there light denim boyfriend a story behind it? Only shorts and loose black time will tell, good words to t-shirt paired with a great heel. live by. I think everything in What would you considlife and business can relate to er one of the most memthis. orable moments for Tarin Thomas? Shooting in my home studio for Elle Girl Japan was a dream come true. But all moments have been memorable, when you see your own business succeeding and evolving you never forget a moment of it.
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How and when did you first gain interest in the fashion industry? When I was being dressed in French designers before I could not even walk - thanks mom haha! I have always had an interest in fashion, it was always a way to be different and Amongst all your creexpress myself. The fashion inations, which is your dustry is always evolving and favourite? The Ryan ring, its so simple. perso is my personal style which is what i love about fashion. fect to stack with or is a total stunner on its own.
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Where is a place you wish you were at now? Japan, can’t wait to check it off my list.
Is there anything you wish you could change about your career right now? Can’t say there is, I’m doing what I love and every aspect is so exhilarating to me.
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And the last question! Lots of your designs are very minimalistic and versatile- are you planning to stick this the iconic look? I think tarin thomas will always have a sense of minimalism and versatility but there are definitely plans to grow and evolve the brand but only time will tell.
editor
Tessa Lin Wang / SuedeFingers.com
cover story Model / Rena Kok
Photographers / Sarah Tan & Christopher Leow Photo Editor/ Sarah Tan Creative Director & Stylist / Tessa Lin Wang
interview
Special thanks to Kylie Nakao / TarinThomas.com
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