La Mode Outré

On The Street, Taipei... Bain

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 02:01:00 +0000

Of the thousands of people, celebrated and unknown, who have sat before my camera, I am often asked who was the most difficult subject, or the easiest, or which picture is my favorite. This last question is like asking a mother which child she likes the most
- Philippe Halsman

On The Street, Taipei... Tiffany

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:01:00 +0000

Ambition can creep as well as soar
- Edmund Burke

I just love it when I see someone out the corner of my eye and they're just about to disappear down a side lane, but something about them just makes me leg it after them. I think I'm mastered "the creep" too, like if I've only seen a glimpse of someone from behind then I need to get in front and take a look from that perspective, even if it means walking right passed them on an otherwise narrow and empty lane. I think I just play the lost tourist looking for something, doing a turn once I'm passed them as if I've gone the wrong way. Creepy!

On The Street, Taipei... Bonnie

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 03:01:00 +0000

The most important thing to remember is that you can wear all the greatest clothes and all the greatest shoes, but you’ve got to have a good spirit on the inside. That’s what’s really going to make you look like you’re ready to rock the world
- Alicia Keys

I really quite like the women in Taiwan. They feel like they're somewhere between Chinese and Japanese women, not too hard, not too soft, and with just the right amount of spirit. I think it's important to think on that level, because that entirely underpins style really - personality and spirit.

On The Street, Taipei... Cindy

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:01:00 +0000

Green strips of paper
Float past outstretched fingertips
The wind laughs aloud
- Giovanna Marasco

I always get kind of anxious when it's windy, because it's like even if you can work out where the wind is coming from and how to try duck into a corner to avoid it, it just swirls around and catches everything in whichever way. And I always half think "oh, it's windy, so I should try and avoid layers or loose-fit clothes", but then how can you do that? I mean, this is all subjective enough without already ruling things out.

But then, you know, when it all goes right, the wind can make things look pretty good too. Or even better than they already do.

On The Street, Taipei... Tin X Kasper Jensen Illustration

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:12:00 +0000

Being creative is at the centre of my heart, it's who I am. Art and design enables me to show the way I perceive the world around me
- Kasper Jensen

_________________________________
Illustration by Kasper Jensen

Kasper, you're from Denmark, is that right? It must be cold there right now?

I am from Copenhagen, Denmark. It is very cold and grey, but the first signs of spring has shown today.

And you own a creative studio called First Empire - what does that entail and how is it going?

I started First Empire in 2007 as a creative project, where I wanted to explore fashion design and art. During the following 5 years, I travelled to a lot of metropolitan cities worldwide, searching for creative inspiration and input on how to develop my skills as an artist and designer. Especially Japan made a big impact and has shaped my focus.

I want to share my vision of how fashion is a lifestyle. I use illustrations to show how a person's style or look can visually express personality traits, ultimately forming an identity. Sometimes, the artistic presentation of a garment can evoke and translate emotions visually, in a way that photography can't. That is my ultimate goal with First Empire.

I have received a lot of positive feedback with my work. I am working with creative agencies and try to establish creative partnerships with both fashion companies and bloggers.

How did you come to be working in the illustration and creative space?

I have a formal education as a graphic designer within the printed media, but it never really had the opportunities I was looking for. Somehow, I have always wanted to use my skills with art and illustration, but I actually only started a year ago with professional illustration work. Up until then, I have worked with digital media design for more than 12 years. Today, I am focused on illustration.

How would you best describe your style? Did it evolve quite naturally or take many twists and turns?

I would describe my style as classic, graphic and dynamic, inspired by Asian calligraphy, because I am fascinated by the effective minimalism - it turns something simple into art. I love watercolor and ink, because it´s intuitive and effective to work with, and can create beautiful and sophisticated effects.

When I was a child, I was captivated by the world of comics and graphic novels. I wanted to be a cartoonist and graphic novelist, but my passion for fashion and classic illustration made me wanting to do more abstract and classic artwork. But it was far from natural to me, as I have been working professionally with digital media design, which has influenced my style. I try to work fast and as efficient as I can, in order to captivate spontaneity in the lines, and with as few materials as possible. Less is more.

What would you like the future to hold for your illustration work and for First Empire?

I would like to do more international fashion and lifestyle illustration, and more live painting - I really like that I can connect with my audience while painting. Asia is a particular area where I want to work with my fashion illustration.

Finally, is there a particular quote or saying that best describes you and your work?

"Art is a lifestyle - Design is a passion"

"Being creative is at the centre of my heart, it's who I am. Art and design enables me to show the way I perceive the world around me."

by Kasper Jensen
Portfolio at firstempire.dk

Look Back: Some Of The Women On La Mode Outré

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 04:38:00 +0000

Let us have wine and women, mirth and laughter,
Sermons and soda-water the day after
- Lord Byron

From the top: Abby, Taipei; Ain, Singapore; Belle, Singapore; Evette, Singapore; Jenn, Taipei; Kai, Tokyo; Kim, Singapore; Marina, Tokyo; Mayumi, Tokyo; Melissa, Singapore; Mook, Bangkok; Nisa, Singapore; Norelle, Taipei; Rina, Tokyo; Ryoko, Tokyo; Seohee, Seoul; Serena, Taipei; Sha, Singapore; Sharon, Taipei; Shaz, KL; and Yuko, Tokyo.

On The Street, Taipei... Lin

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 11:47:00 +0000

Antoni and Alison were interested in the concept of what makes a natural beauty - they found one and asked her - How can I be you?
- Antoni & Alison press release

On The Street, Taipei... Kris & Clea

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 08:20:00 +0000

I've been 40 years discovering that the queen of all colors was black
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir

On The Street, Taipei... Pearl

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:46:00 +0000

I have a friend in New York who's a stylist and I went over to her place because she's got a lot of clothes. I basically ended up wearing most of it. So it's all stuff that I brought over
- Famke Janssen

I think being a stylist must be fun, like putting together outfits and looks in such a way to create a style, to know what's in and out and how to push the boundaries of that. (Pearl is a stylist, which is why I suddenly rambled on about that).

On The Street, Taipei... Henry

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:01:00 +0000

A worker may be the hammer's master, but the hammer still prevails. A tool knows exactly how it is meant to be handled, while the user of the tool can only have an approximate idea
- Milan Kundera

I've been getting lots of photographs in Taipei to the extent that I can try and edit them together and make them fit in the best possible way to give a cohesive look, while still throwing one in from that particular day to keep it very current too.

But I wanted to share this one ahead of some others in particular, because you may notice a slight difference in the look and feel. And if you do (I can certainly tell anyway, but maybe it's just a nuance), it's because I just got my hands on a new (and very expensive) lens. In fact, I thought some people might like to see the camera I use, so it's below. A Canon 5d mkII, now with the 50mm f1.2 L lens.

I actually bought the camera just one month into the site along with the much cheaper 50mm f1.4 lens, even though I had no real idea if I could justify the outlay, but I figured that setup was what quite a few of the best street style photographers used, as well as being the camera of quite a few fashion photographers. So, you know, I thought if you want to get to that level then it's not a bad start.

But I only just convinced myself to buy the L series lens largely because the cheaper one just didn't cut it on some shots, and the first shots I took with this new one I was like "wow, this is something else." So, if you do notice a difference (hopefully a bit softer and smoother), then that's why!

On The Street, Taipei... Lai

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:01:00 +0000

I love things that age well - things that don't date, that stand the test of time and that become living examples of the absolute best
- Giorgio Armani

I will only find out in the years to come whether or not the photographs I take stand the test of time - for me. But it's certainly what I want, to have photos that I enjoy now, tomorrow, in a year, in ten years and so on. That will be success. So I never want to be taking what I've come to think as the cheese fondue of photos, or those that are popular for a bit, but after that just become a bit of a fad.

On The Street, Tokyo... Shouichi

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 03:41:00 +0000

Photography has a natural affinity for the strategies of surrealism — the exaltation of chance and eros, the exploration of obsession and the release of the unconscious
- Douglas McCulloh

There is an intimacy in being a photographer which is probably the same intimacy that an artist feels when making a painting. Or a filmmaker making a film. Or anyone making anything. It is the intimacy of the intent which is part obvious and conscious and part unknown and sub-conscious; which can only be truly realised and expressed in the product itself. So, I think the way a photographer understands the photograph they've made is unlikely to be the way someone else will understand the photograph, in part or in it's entirety.

And therein lies the fascination of a photograph, or any creation for that matter, because the intent disappears upon realisation, and the realisation only expresses the intent as a metaphor.

On The Street, Taipei... Queenie

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:01:00 +0000

Orange is the happiest colour
- Frank Sinatra

I only thought afterwards about the Orange at NYFW that the Sartorialist posted a few days ago, and that I could have asked Queenie if she'd seen that, maybe even if she'd been inspired by it. Probably her wearing orange was a coincidence, but then it's possible, you know, that something someone can see on a site nearly half the world away, can be influenced by it and act upon it straight away.

And also, it's just great to walk around the street in Taipei and see people like this. I think it's still developing to an extent, but doing street style photography here is, well, fun.

On The Street, Taipei... Ivory

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:31:00 +0000

All colours are the friends of their neighbors and the lovers of their opposites
- Marc Chagall

The weather in Taipei is balmy right now, it's like perfect summer weather in February. Well, perfect for me anyway - twenty four degrees, sun and a bit of a breeze. Mind you, I'm guessing at the moment the weather is coming up from the warm South, but I think in the next few days it'll shift to coming down from the cold North and it'll be chilly again. Not that I know a thing about weather patterns. Regardless, today is today and that's all that matters for now.

On The Street, Taipei... Deed

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:21:00 +0000

The customs and fashions of men change like leaves on the bough, some of which go and others come
- Dante Alighieri

It's interesting for me to see how a year or so ago I was dead set on trying to photograph predominantly women, not sure why, it's probably just because that's my inclination on a personal level - women. But I think you'd be slightly crazy if you came to places like Taipei, Seoul and Tokyo where there are men who dress really well and didn't take their photographs.

La Mode Outré X Dash Magazine (UK): Fashion Illustration Feature

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:01:00 +0000

DASH Magazine is devoted to the fabrication of images, concepts and articles with a high level of depth and aesthetics. Intended at opinion formers, DASH Magazine is a London-based high fashion editorial, lifestyle, illustration and art print

It's been really cool to see how this whole illustration collaboration thing has developed. From a friend mentioning on the street that she had a friend who wanted to do a few illustrations (pandapanda, the first collaboration on here), to now having worked with 19 illustrators and having another 7 already lined up. It's kind of an analogy for this whole site, maybe even my whole life - start something on the basis of "why don't you try this..." and then taking it and letting it grow naturally, letting it build up.

So it's cool to have the whole illustration recognised with a first piece of press - it's a feature on four Asian illustrators who I've worked with: Hisyam Abdul Rahman (Singapore), Jude Chen (Taiwan), Ruth Marbun (Indonesia) and Amanda Keisha Ang (Singapore), in the brand new, biannual, London based fashion illustration magazine called Dash, due to be launched on February 15th. The magazine also features works from very cool illustrators such as François Berthoud, Jennifer Louise Martin, Meriç Canatan, Patrick Morgan and Spiros Halaris who have between them worked for (to name a few) many editions of Vogue, for Givenchy, YSL, New York Times, on London Fashion Week, held multiple exhibitions and been published in books, so it feels like the feature is in very good company. Coincidentally enough, it also features the very cool Vita Yang who I met in Taiwan and while arranging to do a collaboration discovered that we were both part of Dash magazine.

And If you're really keen on having a copy, you can order worldwide by clicking here, plus if you want to go to the magazine launch party in London on the 15th (it's listed as part of the London Fashion Week events), RSVP to petra@fashiondash.net.

On The Street, Taipei... Yu Ting, Lin Hsiu Ling and Sasa

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:01:00 +0000

Fashion is like the id. It makes you desire things you shouldn't
- Bob Morris

On The Street, Tokyo... Ryo X Natsuki Otani Illustration

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:01:00 +0000

As for me, all I know is that I know nothing
- Socrates

_________________________________
Illustration by Natsuki Otani

Natsuki, you're originally from Tokyo, but living and working now in England? How did that come about?

I was originally going to go to a Japanese art university, but entrance exams are very hard in Japan, you can spend years and years in cram school just to get in. I wanted to get a job in Japan instead of uni but I thought I would spend a year somewhere overseas to enjoy new experiences and travel. There was a choice between a Mexican art school and an English uni, my mum didn't agree with me going to Mexico for safety reasons so here I am in the UK. Then I somehow managed to graduate from uni.

How would you compare living in Japan to living in England?

I'm a total shut in so there are no big differences... I think Japan is cleaner, safer, and shop assistants are friendlier, but England is relaxed in a different way. I love the charity spirit in England, and I respect that English people do not hesitate to be proud of England, Japanese people often tend not to be very confident about their own country. People often ask me which is a better place to live but I think it's a very hard question, both countries have good and bad points and I'm not fussy.

What led you to becoming an illustrator?

I decided to go to art high school when I was 15, and the art high school I went to was crazy in an awesome way, I became only capable of doing something art related. My university allowed to us to learn graphic design, publishing, animation, photography and illustration in the first year so I had time to find what's best for me. I was torn between publishing and illustration because of my love for books, but I just realised I simply prefer drawing to InDesign.

You state that your style "is best described in colour" - what draws you to colour in particular?

When I was a kid, I was shocked by the fact you wouldn't see colours in life if it wasn't for sunlight, I thought I would be very sad not to have colours in my life. You can also never know how colours look to other people, there is something ephemeral about it. I can give colours meanings, they will tell you more stories and I like this.

Where would you like your illustration journey to take you and what kind of projects would you like to work on?

I want to be a granny who can draw, I like the pianist Fujiko Hemming who looks like a wicked cat lady and I want to be something close! For something in the nearer future, I'd love to illustrate children's books, wall paintings, record design, more fashion illustration and portraits, any projects excite me.

Finally, do you have a favourite quote or saying that really defines who you are and what you do?

"As for me, all I know is that I know nothing" - Socrates

by Natsuki Otani
Portfolio at cargocollective.com/natsukiotani/

On The Street, Taipei... Gaga

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:01:00 +0000

I was performing in New York and my friends started to call me Gaga, they said I was very theatrical and they said, 'You're Gaga'
- Lady Gaga

On The Street, Taipei... Cia Cia

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:01:00 +0000

If it looks good, you'll see it. If it sounds good, you'll hear it. If it's marketed right, you'll buy it. But... if it's real, you'll feel it
- Kid Rock

On The Street, Taipei... Corner of 12th Avenue and Shimin Boulevard

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:12:00 +0000

I trained as a theater actor and you had a bare stage and you had to pretend, one prop and you are in the middle of 8th Ave. and traffic is just going by
- Benicio Del Toro

I still feel a bit weird taking someone's photo like this, but, you know, I see something I want to photograph and I can't let myself let it go by. Besides, I think it'd be even weirder to then go up and say "hey, I just stood behind you taking photographs, do you mind?" I figure that it's positive, so that can't be all bad.

On The Street, Taipei... Hsiao Hsiao

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:01:00 +0000

I think I've done fashion passing through it. Not really being there. Passing through, meeting nice people and then coming back
- Ines Sastre

On The Street, Taipei... Jamie

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:01:00 +0000

Of course there are many ways we can reuse something. We can dye it. We can cut it. We can change the buttons. Those are other ways to make it alive. But this is a new step to use anything - hats, socks, shirts. It's the first step in the process
- Issey Miyake

I actually shared this photo on the New York Times Reader's photos section - each week they put a shout out for submissions on a particular theme - this week was coloured socks, so it seemed pretty much spot on!

If you want to give it a go, then you can follow for the shout outs on the NY Times Fashion twitter - this week they're after "street style photos of clutches".

On The Street, Taipei... Serena

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:01:00 +0000

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. There is nothing more common then unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not. The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent
- Joe Strummer

I think I once said something that to this day I still consider to have been vaguely intelligent and probably about the only thing I've uttered that could be considered so. Which was something to the effect of "the difference between successful people and those who aren't comes down to those who keep at it long after everyone else has given up." I think I was probably drunk at the time, so you could blame (or credit) the pseudo-intelligence on the alcohol.

And while you could probably argue that point either way e.g. if it's an absolute fact that the moment has gone and you're still pushing at it, then maybe you need to reconsider, I still think it holds a lot of truth. Very few people seem to become overnight success stories. I think even if it looks that way, a large amount of persistence and determination has already gone on behind the scenes to get it to that point.

On The Street, Taipei... Wu

noreply@blogger.com (La Mode Outré) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:01:00 +0000

The young dare to try new things. There are no limits for new fashions
- Fu Tzu-ching