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Asia Buzz--Culture on Demand
Fashion scene: The victims wear red
By STAN STALNAKER
September 4, 1999
Web posted at 5 a.m. Hong Kong time, 5 p.m. EDT
Red is so right now. If there is one color for Fall/Winter that the fashion
gurus have on their minds this season, it must be red. As such, the ready to
wear collections hitting designer boutiques across Asia are all about what we
call the Stark Look. It's a little hard to describe--modern and futuristic, with
a strange echo of 1982 bad hair and space-lounge hippie all rolled into one.
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At Gucci's Asia Fall/Winter debut in Hong Kong last weekend, that meant the
leggiest models ever, doing their thing in crush velvet flaired pants, dramatic
jackets (except for the fur--boo, hiss) and killer heels that could do some
serious damage to anything (or anyone) unlucky enough to be in the way.
Like all fashion shows, it started late. Unlike most shows, everyone got to stay
for the post-party that featured a random green laser and music mixed by the DJ
from Zook in Singapore. We heard some of the glitter crowd were on the dance
floor until 5 a.m., which probably explains why everyone in fashion always seems
to be so thin. And with those tiny canapés floating around it's not like anyone
was risking a calorie. Thankfully, we left before the '70s music started.
One attendee describes the whole season as "second-hand store couture" with
"leather jackets you could only wear at Liquid" (a hot Miami club). We're
inclined to agree, but there were exceptions.
Christian Dior hosted a notable event during the week--a viewing of its first
fine jewelry collection at its new Landmark store. The 200-piece collection is
designed by Victoire de Castellane, previously at Chanel. One guest was
overheard telling Pierre Balsan, Christian Dior Far East's managing director:
"Just put me in the Summer Rain and on a polar bear skin rug..."
Cafe Del Mar, Volumen Seis, is now available across Asia. Mixed by a variety of
Ibiza artists and compiled by José Padilla, it is a bit of a departure from the
other albums in the series--much more relaxed. We're partial to tracks No. 6 and
No. 8. The latter has this great Middle Eastern thing going that will definitely
feature at OUR next dinner party.
What else? American Pie continues to get the pics and "pans"--for those of you
who downloaded it over the Net and watched it on your 32.2 we must report the
theater version is still worth a look. Having finally finished Alex Garland's
book, The Beach, we are curious to see if little Leo's new movie measures up.
Thailand is quite the hot place for movies these days but somehow there always
seems to be controversy. Everyone knows The Beach stepped on environmental toes,
and Anna and the King continues to irritate bureaucrats concerned about
offending the monarchy.
Hot Japan news: our favorite coffee table tome, Wallpaper*, reports that the big
thing in Japan right now is ... good deeds. Says Wallpaper*: "When our little
angels excel themselves, perhaps by picking up garbage or giving up their train
seats to wrinklies, they earn stickers for their Heaven's Passports ..."
Now if that isn't Totally Millennium we don't know what is.
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