Thank you to author Wendy Shang for sending this my way. She is on her way to accept her APALA award for her wonderful middle grade chapter book The Great Wall of Lucy Wu. What do you think of the choreography? I asked my kids and they liked it a lot! Hey, if your middle schooler approves, then you know they are cool! These boys can dance! Nice choreography Mr. Lee!
My kids are really into this video and they had fun for an hour trying to copy the choreography! We all chose favorites. Music Lovers favors the middle guy. PickyKidPix and I like the 2nd from left denim guy. My little son likes the far left guy … perhaps because he’s the smallest. Ah, I hear the video being played right now!
This song was stuck in my head so I had to get it out of my system, and on the plus side, it was an excuse for me to try something new. I hope you enjoy the more…alternative…side of me? thanks for watching! [yea it's a bit messy but whatever.]
DANCERS: Charles Nguyen @charlesvnguyen Josh EspinoSa @joshmelo Lawrence Devera @LawPOREOTICS Lawrence Kao @iamlawrencekao Directed/Filmed/Edited by: Jonathan Shih @JYShih21
Special shout out to The Shift Dance Crew from Syracuse University!
I love the simple but playful silver jewelry by Kristy Lin.Like this Monsieur ring … it’s rings stacked up but look at the rings when they line up. Can you see it? Yes, it’s a face!
Monsieur Stack Ring Set, $275
Ear Ring, $95
Blood Red Heart Ring, $88
How Kristy describes her line:
It’s inspired by films, conceptual art, and the human preoccupation with beauty. I’m a young Asian-American designer that recently launched earlier this year. Collections feature unconventional yet refined rings, earrings and bracelets that are effortlessly combined with surrealism and a high-end aesthetic for something a little quirky and a little classic. All pieces feature sterling silver, and 14 or 18K gold. Made in NY, NY, with recycled metals.
She is giving JadeLuck Club readers a special 15% discount.Please use promo code jadeluckclub. Click here to shop at her site.
“Furniture, we feel, is a development of mood besides being purely utilitarian. Basic forms with the reflection of the constancy of nature find satisfaction in times like ours.
A small poetic haven in an unsettled world where excitement seems so necessary.”
George Nakashima, from his 1962 Studio catalog
George Nakashima, Woodworker, is what his business card read. He’s that, and a whole lot more. “Today Nakashima is regarded as one the most important artisans of the American studio crafts movement.” from Primavera Gallery
“George Nakashima was born in Spokane, Washington in 1905 and grew up in the forests of the Olympic Peninsula. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in architecture at the University of Washington (although he enrolled in the University to study forestry and switched majors after two years) and a Master’s from MIT in 1930, as well as the Prix Fontainebleau from L’Ecole Americaine des Beaux Arts in France.
During the 1930′s Nakashima lived in Paris and from there he traveled to Japan to familiarize himself with his ancestral roots. It was in Tokyo that Nakashima joined Antonin Raymond’s firm which allowed him to work in Pondicherry, India, where he supervised the building of the dorms at the Sri Aurobindo ashram, a project which would have a profound impact on the designer. For this project Nakashima created his pieces of furniture.
At the start of World War II he headed back to the U.S. but not before returning to Japan where he met his future wife, Marion. Once back in the US, in 1941 (the same year that he married Marion), the couple settled in Seattle. In 1942, the year that his daughter Mira was born, Nakashima and his family were sent to the internment camps in Idaho. With Raymond’s help, Nakashima was able to get out but only after the architect promised that the designer would work for him on his farm in Bucks County, PA. It was here that Nakashima began his business and built his home and workshop, known as the Conoid studio. (“Conoid” is also the name of his very famous chairs from 1960).” from Primavera Gallery
It was George Nakashima’s dream to provide “Altars of Peace” for each of the seven continents on earth. Constructed from a magnificent pair of matched Black walnut, the first “Peace Altar” was consecrated and installed at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City in 1986.
The second Sacred Table, built to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations in 1995, was made from the same monumental black walnut tree as the first and blessed at the same Cathedral. After serving its mission as a unifying presence at The Hague Appeal for Peace in May of 1999, it resides in the newly renovated Russian Academy of Art in Moscow to help inspire peace in the new millennium.” from NakashimaWoodworker.com Read More…
“The art of stone in a Japanese garden is that of placement. Its ideal does not deviate from that of nature… But I am also a sculptor of the West. I place my mark and do not hide.”
Noguchi Coffee Table for Herman Miller
“To limit yourself to a particular style may make you an expert of that particular viewpoint or school, but I do not wish to belong to any school,” he said. “I am always learning, always discovering.”
Thank you HapaMama for this great children’s book recommendation on Isamu Noguchi.
The East-West House: Noguchi’s Childhood in Japan by Christy Hale
“Isamu Noguchi was born Isamu Gilmour in Los Angeles in 1904 to Leonie Gilmour, an Irish-American teacher and editor, and Yone Noguchi, a Japanese poet. It is the cultural divide between his parents, between East and West, between two distinct histories of art and thought, that would engage him his entire life. In 1906, Noguchi’s mother took him to Japan, where he attended Japanese and Jesuit schools. While in Japan, Noguchi gained an appreciation for its landscape, architecture and craftsmanship. Later his mother sent him to Indiana to attend a progressive boarding school she had read about in a magazine.
After high school Noguchi enrolled in Columbia University to study medicine, while at the same time taking sculpture classes on the Lower East Side. It wasn’t long before he realized that art, not medicine, was his true calling. He left school and found a studio where he could sculpt full-time.” from PBS
image from Modernica Blog. Finn Juhl ‘Pelian Chairs’ with Noguchi Coffee Table photo by Eric Laignel
image from Modernica Blog. Noguchi Coffee Table Photographs by Dominique Marc Wehrli.
My favorite Newbery Street Boutique, Dress, turned me on to jewelry designer Michelle Chang. She makes delicate but edgy rings, necklaces and bracelets with baby cats, skulls, and good luck symbols. The price points are great too! Here are some of my favorites. Have you heard of Michelle Chang? What other Asian American jewelry designers do you like?
Baby Skull Bangle in Sterling Silver, $80
Stack Bangle in Sterling Silver, $24
Snowflake Necklace in Sterling Silver, $82
3 Spike Necklace, $78
Large Hoop Earrings, $66
Tiny Wire Heart Necklace, $38
Tiny Cross Necklace, $36
Baby Skull Earrings in Gold, $234
Baby Skull Earrings in Sterling Silver, $184
Baby Skull Cuff Links in Sterling Silver, $88
Leaf Ring, $184
To view any item more closely at Michelle Chang’s Etsy Store, please click on image.
This is not an accident. Michelle Obama uses fashion to make a statement. That statement is that she supports fashion designers of color, particularly those who are up and coming. In fact, by wearing people of color designs, Michelle Obama’s star power elevates them into the limelight, which is the power of a First Lady’s fashion statement if you consider Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
Jeanne Yang of Holmes & Yang is widely recognized as a top stylist to Hollywood A Listers including Katie Holmes. A graduate of Scripps College, Yang began her career in fashion at Detour Magazine, as Managing Editor and Associate Publisher. There, she put unknowns on the cover including Leonardo DiCaprio, Sandra Bullock, and Cameron Diaz. From Detour, Jeanne left to become Senior Fashion Designer for the clothing label Product. After two years at Product, she left to do freelance styling.
In InStyle magazine, she said that growing up she wanted to be “a senator or a UN ambassador. Quite the 180!” I love that about her!
To see the Hollywood stars on the red carpet or on magazine covers that she styled, go here. Her roster includes:
CELEBRITY
Al Pacino
Amanda Seyfried
Anjelina Jolie
Anne Hathaway
Anthony Hopkins
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Benecio Del Toro
Brad Pitt
Bradley Cooper
Camilla Belle
Carla Gugino
Carrie Underwood
Catherine Zeta Jones
Christian Bale
Christina Hendricks
Demi Moore
Denzel Washington
Diane Keaton
Dustin Hoffman
Ellen Barkin
Ewan McGregor
George Clooney
Gong Li
Holly Hunter
Jack Black
Jack Nicholson
Jake Gyllenhaal
Javier Bardem
Jessica Biel
Katie Holmes
“Just days after Katie Holmes debuted her latest fall 2011 collection for her label Holmes & Yang—the line she designs with stylist Jeanne Yang—actress Malin Akerman wore one of her new designs on the red carpet! The actress attended the Los Angeles premiere of Sucker Punch on Thursday wearing a simple long red dress, a look that is part of the new Holmes & Yang collection. While the dress won’t be in stores until fall, the current spring collection for the label just dropped at Barneys.com.” In Style Magazine
What do you think of the Holmes and Yang line? Here are some items from Barneys.
Have you seen Vera Wang’s latest purchase? A gorgeous mid-century modern house in Los Angeles with 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, and breathtaking views all around. Her spectacular house once owned by Burt Reynolds.
It pays to be creative. Vera Wang’s net worth is estimated to be $115 million according to Celebrity Net Worth.
“Her new home near Coldwater Canyon features stunning views of L.A. and the ocean. The house was built in 1967, but renovated by the former owner Steve Hermann. Hermann is famous for his high-end home designs, many in Beverly Hills for A-list celebrities. The house covers 4,394 square feet and features four bedrooms, four bathrooms, swimming pool, spa and home theater. Its was constructed with black steel bars, to contrast the white and cream interior and furnishings, with heavy use of glass walls. The open glass design divides the living area into 2 lounge areas, a dining area and kitchen, all allowing you to enjoy the spectacular view thanks to the glass walls. The backyard pool also features its own lounge area.”
Her new house is as stylish as she is. Congratulations Vera Wang!
The newest Asian American Fashion Wunderkind is Joseph Altazarra. His ethnicity is a bit under the radar but he’s half French-Basque (father) and half Chinese American (mother). It’s a good looking combination! He studied art history at Swarthmore College then interned for Marc Jacobs, Proenza Schouler and Givenchy despite not having a formal fashion education. It helps that he runs with NYC It Girls like his cousin and model Lily Kwong, ”Lauren Santo Domingo, the Vogue editor, and Vanessa Traina, who walked in his spring show.” NY Times Blog
His clothes are known for Body-Con chic with an edgy twist.
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The first eight designers are from the U.S. Embassy site and I added two more favorites. Thank you to my friend Ginny for sending me this link!
“Asian-American designers are a major force in the global fashion industry, as the New York Times recently noted. In this group are Vera Wang, Anna Sui and other established figures, plus relative newcomers such as Jason Wu and Thakoon Panichgul (both of whom are favorites of U.S. first lady Michelle Obama). Each designer has a distinctive aesthetic, reflecting the deep Asian-American talent pool in fashion and other fields. Here, models show off evening wear by Monique Lhuillier, a Filippina-turned-Californian.”
Asian American designers are rocking it. Who will be the next Big Thing? Can you suggest some under-the-radar Asian designers? Let’s discover them together!
Dressing Michelle Obama put him firmly on the fashion map, but his flowy, feminine and flattering creations are what makes his line go supernova. His studded-on-the-bottom handbags are also the newest It Bag.
With a funky boho vibe, Anna Sui is pure fun. I bought a dress from her capsule Target collection that gets a lot of compliments. No one can believe I bought it for $4o! Her own line is even nicer.
He started his own company at only age 31 (hence the 3.1) and he’s a runaway wunderkind commercial success. He hits all the right notes, season after season.
Her dad is a gazillionaire industrialist and her mom is a Tiger Mom. Known for her prodigious work ethic, Vera Wang is a runway and “for the masses” big-time success. Her Tiger Mom should be proud!
To me, he’s the Asian Michael Kors known for lux casual. I can’t afford him but I have been coveting his clothes for more than a decade.
9. Prabal Gurung
He strikes the right balance of flouncy and tailored. If you can’t afford him, he did a nice capsule collection for J. Crew. There is still a little bit left.
She understands drape more than any other designer, except, maybe for Donna Karan who famously failed that class in design school. Her clothes are lux, louche and gorgeous. I want!
Peter Som describes his aesthetic as one of “effortless elegance and refined sexiness”, and aspires to provide a fresh perspective to modern American fashion.
I was doing social media marketing for a Warehouse sale at an exclusive women’s boutique when I came across Chan Luu again! I had read about her years ago how she bopped over from China, set up shop creating amazing pleated scarves with even more amazing sell through. I wasn’t in the market for expensive scarves back then so she fell off my radar.
But then I see these amazing wraparound bracelets and hear that they are all the rage where I live, and they are by … wait for it, Chan Luu. Does she have uncanny fashion sense or what?! And how is this possible if you grew up in mainland China?
So, I am forced to investigate (and also hope to score an interview with her at some point … any of you readers happen to know her?).
This is what I discover:
She has a fashion line AND it’s cute stuff (sort of Ella Moss meets Anna Sui).
Chan Luu left Vietnam, where she was born and raised, to further her education at Boston University in Massachusetts majoring in Business Administration. Following her dream of becoming a designer, she later moved to Los Angeles and enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising earning a degree in Fashion Design in 1975.
Chan’s pieces have been featured in Vogue, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar andInStyle. Her designs have been worn by celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston,Mischa Barton, Sandra Bullock, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Drew Barrymore, Janet Jackson. Chan is an avid tennis player and scuba diver. She also enjoys gardening and cooking for her friends. She currently resides in Pacific Palisades with her dogs, Henry and Benji.
Is Chan Luu all the rage in your circle? What do you think of her designs?
To examine any item more closely, please click on image.
Noguchi Coffee Table for Herman Miller
Noguchi Coffee Table in ebony.
I was doing social media marketing for a Warehouse sale at an 
