Thursday, March 31, 2011

Visuals 101: Colours of Jamaica

Jamaica always stands to remain one of my favourite places so far.  It really is my home away from home and I make it point of duty to revisit it atleast once a year if I'm lucky. Check out some of my pics while there earlier this week. 


Location: Whitehall Road, Kingston, Jamaica.

A corner store. One of the many shops that are positioned on frequent corners around the way.




Location:  Hundred Lane, Red Hills Road, Kingston.  One of the more lawless neighbourhoods of uptown Kingston. I had to snap these shots discreetly as those with cameras and blackberries are targets for easy jackings as of late.  



Drum Chicken corners.  Local fast food! When the sun goes down, you'll find these almost anywhere.  Jerk/BBQ chicken is seasoned and cooked in large makeshift bbqs cut from oil drums. Just throw some Jamaican ketchup and hot sauce on that biatch with some hardo bread and I'm good to go!




A shoe shine shop. I bet this guy is the best there is!


Buju Banton's studio.



Location: Cassava Piece, Kingston, Jamaica

"Gully Bank" where the famous DJ Mavado is from.





A local tag supporting JLP, Jamaica's Labour Party.  There are 2 major political parties that are at constant odds against each other, JLP and PNP, People's National Party. During election time, schools and businesses are shut down due to the riots and crime that takes place. 



 Location: Pembroke Hall, Kingston, Jamaica

A local wall mural showcasing Usain Bolt, Louise Bennett, Bob Marley and Haile Selassie



The heat can never deter style!



Local school children.  Uniforms are mandatory for all schools. 



 Locals just hanging out.


Soccer or Football as it's called internationally, is one of the major past times on the island.  You can see pick up games like this everywhere.



A legendary Jamaican pothole! The streets in Pembroke Hall are all like this. It's almost as if the government has forgotten that this area exists. 


Location:  Club Tan Jan, Orocabessa, St. Mary


Location:  Buccaneer Beach, Montego Bay



A wall mural located at Doctor's Cave Beach, Montego Bay


This was the bottom half of a run down abandoned hotel.  I didn't get the name of it, but it used to be the main hotel attraction in Montego Bay during the '70's.  It's now closed and there has been multiple attempts at restoring it, but for some reason, it never gets completed. 


Location: Port Maria, one of the many churches surrounding the island.  It is said that Jamaica has the most churches and bars per square mile in the entire world.






Stolen Moments: Reflection Eternal

Location:  Doctor's Cave Beach, Montego Bay, Jamaica


Monday, March 28, 2011

SoHo's in Jamaica!!

Greetings from Jamaica!!
Just touching base with you guys so I'll see you soon and be back with some interesting shots to share and stories to tell!!

See ya sooner than later!!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Featured Designer: Canada's Amanda Lew Kee

I'm a very picky person when it comes to what I wear. I'll always see elements of something in a particular collection that will appease my fashion bi-polarism, but I have to honestly say, EVERYTHING in Amanda Lew Kee's line is fuckin' flooring me! Her 2011 Spring line balances my need for neutralization and flirtiness with sheers and delicate nudes and her Fall/Winter 2010 collection is moody, dark, suffocatingly awesome with provocative drapery, and leatherbound accesorial stack me, you HAVE to have me jewelry and embellishments.

I'm unfortunately going to miss the first few days of Toronto's Fashion Week 2011, but I'll return just in time to catch Amanda Lew Kee's runway which I will literally run over someone to get to. I'm also looking forward to the other inspirational and groundbreaking Canadian designers that will be featuring their collections.

Look out for some updates and exclusives forthcoming!

Check out some of my favourite pieces from Amanda Lew Kee's collection below:

www.amandalewkee.com

Fall/Winter 2010




Spring 2011




Accessories



 image sources:  www.amandalewkee.com


P.S. Her signature blue lipstick totally turns me on!!

image source: www.lgfashionweek.ca


Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Style Icons: Zoe Kravitz

Zoe Kravitz is one savvy bad ass chick. What can I say?? Free spirit...natural beauty...rockstar lineage...boho hippie chic..."I don't give a fuck" attitude...she's smokin'! Watch her strutting her shit on Californication for fuck sakes, AND, she has a few cool films under her belt and definitely more coming. She headlines a band called Elevator Fight! She's her own person and clearly doesn't ride on the fact that Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet are her parents.  She's talented and driven, and maaaaan, she has personal STYLE.  


Check out some pics below of her in Eleven Paris' 2011 Spring campaign.  I'm digging their collection and their visual homage to British mod subculture, rock n' roll in the '60s, with some Bowiesque influences and even throwing in some New Wave '80s in the mix. 


www.elevenparis.com 




image source: www.elevenparis.com


image source: www.fashiongonerogue.com









Saturday, March 19, 2011

Stolen Moments: Rainbow Tunnel

Location: Don Valley Parkway

When I was a kid, I used to see this every Sunday when my parents drove along the DVP to church.  When "The Rainbow Tunnel" was painted, the city promptly removed it classifying it as graffiti, but soon after, it reappeared again. They eventually left it and now it's an unofficial landmark. The original colours have long since gone disappeared though I'm pretty sure it gets refreshed every now and then.

Mad respect to the originator...whoever you are!
Every artist has a vision :)




Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Random

I thought I'd just post this random pic that was taken at my birthday shindig on the weekend.  I also lost someone very important on this day and this will forever impact how I view life and those I care about.  It's so crucial to stay close to family and friends who truly love and support you and most importantly, never take them for granted. 

Cheers to great family and friends and always, enjoy life for what it is.



Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Stolen Moments: Up Close and Personal

Location:  Batangas, The Philippines


I can't stop staring at this photo...it's hauntingly and grotesquely beautiful.  I was taking a walk at sunrise when I saw tiny starfish washed up on shore...

Sunday, March 6, 2011

War Child's ROCK THE RUNWAY: Go Getters and Trend Setters!

Sarah Taylor and I!
  I wish I asked what she was wearing! She's a natural beauty and is so genuine and sweet. Her shoes are damn hot!

The Rundown:
Moi

Dress: Atos Lombardini
 Shoes: Christian Louboutin
Leather Jacket: Ever
Accessories:  Marc Jacobs bag, RetroSuperFuture frames, SoHo Monet earrings



Her hot shoes!


The Fresh Prince in a pair of fresh Louboutins, a Thom Browne button up and Natural Selections denim!


Elizabeth Semmelhack, Senior Curator of the Bata Shoe Museum, hanging out with her daughter and enjoying the show.


Canadian fashion icon, Brian Bailey


Check out some of the attendees and their savy styles!


Spiro Mandylor, a fellow blogger of www.itsallstyletome.com.
Dapper!




Louie!


Che of www.jadore-che.blogspot.com





Jay Strut of www.foryoursatisfashion.com






The harmonica player! 



Young Empire's frontman Matthew Vlahovic.