dissecting kaws

Who is Kaws?

Kaws is Brian Donnelly, a New York-based graffiti artist and toy designer.

What is his claim to fame?

In the late 90s, Kaws started to alter bus stop and phone booth posters. Armed with a 'master key', he would open the glass casings, steal the posters, paint on them, and put them back. Watch a video docu here.

Soon, New York commuters became familar with his work. Posters for fashion brands such as Guess, Bebe, YSL, Calvin Klein, etc. suddenly had images of skulls with 'x'-ed out eyes painted over the models' faces. Sometimes, this skull head was part of a sperm-like figure that wrapped itself around the models. Click here to see one. (Note: this is the reason why the bus stop is a recurring theme in his toy designs.)

How did he get into toy designing and street fashion?

After winning an artist grant from Pernod Liquor, he quit his Disney job and traveled to Tokyo where he collaborated with street fashion brands such as Undercover, Hectic and A Bathing Ape, as well as toy brands such as Medicom. Soon after, he opened his own clothing store called Original Fake at the fashionable Aoyama district in Tokyo. His retailer neighbors include Prada, Comme De Garcons, D&G, Hysteric Glamour, Issey Miyake, BAPE, etc.

How successful is he as an artist?

Kaws's fame as an artist is not credited to a string of art galleries exhibitions. It is a product of his various collaborations with cult fashion brands and the designer toy world – with the help of the Internet. Recently though, his exposure via art galleries has started to progress, with shows at the Gering & Lopez Gallery in New York, Gallerie Emmnuel Perrotin in Miami, and Honore Fraser Gallery in L.A. (According to the LA Times, Kaw's Honore Fraser show last February 2009 was mobbed!)

Who collects his art?

Rapper/Producer/Songwriter Pharell Williams, BAPE owner Nigo, and Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, among others.

Where can one find his work on the Internet?

Originalfake.com, Kawsone.com, and Gering & Lopez Gallery. But you'll find the most number of pics at this Kibrobot Discussion link.

What are his latest collaborations?

He just designed a pair of shoes for Marc Jacobs's new line. And the artworks for Kanye West's new album.

How important is this Kaws 'Dissected' Bearbrick to collectors?

Well, important enough for people to line up overnight for (below) – some Hong Kong collectors even flew to Taipei! Crazy isn't it? Read about the launch day here. :-)

In my collection, there are three different Kaws Bearbricks – two of which are based on Kaws's 'Original Companion' toy figure.

But this one (top, right) based on the 'Dissected Companion' is my favorite. For the first time, I actually enjoyed looking at entrails – lung, liver, intestine, pancreas, heart, aorta and all. :-D

Info from i-D (The stepping Stone Issue), The New York Times Magazine, Los Angeles Times / Kaws pic from www.spreadartculture.com / Launch day pic from freshnessmag.com

the color purple

Hard as I may try, I can't recall owning anything purple. I don't remember the color coming into fashion at any point in my life. My strong Catholic upbringing taught me that purple is the official hue of Lent, a somber reminder of the death and suffering of Jesus Christ.

In my experience, no guy wore purple to parties. No one drove a purple car. Or lived in a purple house.

At work, clients of mine are not likely to approve advertising layouts with the color purple. For them, it's a sad color and will not sell.

But it's payback time for purple. Today, fashion's most influential designers have labeled it the 'color of the year'.

Check out their Spring 2009 collections:

(Left to right) Emporio Armani, Badgley Mischka, Elie Saab

Balenciaga, Emilio Pucci, Gucci

Louis Vuitton, Anna Sui, Emanuel Ungaro

John Galliano, Versace, Etro

Okay, okay. The women's dresses look terrific. However, the men's outfits look a bit... too much?

But I must say: it's great that people have become more open to unpopular color choices. From something as mundane as pushing purple on the runways to something as historic as putting a black president in the White House. Change is good! :-)

(Top) The purple 'West One' Bearbrick is part of 2004 Bearbrick World Wide Tour (Set B) released in Osaka, Japan.

Fashion pics from style.com

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an unsolved mystery

Two weeks ago, I received an unexpected call from S, my business partner.

"My driver is missing!" she blurted out. "Around 5pm, I asked him to drop me off at Santi's Deli in Rockwell. He was supposed to park the car at the nearby mall and buy me meds for my headache. But when I called and texted him – countless times – to ask him to pick me up, he never answered. To think that I told him I wouldn't take long! After waiting for two hours, I decided to take a cab home. Should I call the police?"

My mind raced. Was her driver's phone on silent mode? Why didn't he check it for messages? Did he fall asleep in the drivers' lounge? Did he meet an accident? Or was the car hijacked in the basement parking area of the mall? (The car was a high-end SUV, a vehicle on the police's list of cars-most-likely-to-be-carnapped. )

"We must be very sure before we report the matter to the police," I replied, "I think they issue shoot-to-kill orders on drivers of stolen vehicles."

"Then I should go back to the mall and find out if the car is still parked there," she said, sounding worried.

"That may be dangerous. You want my driver to come with you? He can be your bodyguard."

"I'll go alone."

At 7:30pm, I called her on her mobile phone.

After three rings, the call pushed through but no one said 'Hello'. There was a sound of rustling like someone was fumbling for the phone. Then I heard a very loud and shrill scream! What the hell was going on?!

She finally spoke, "Hi, I'm on my way to the mall."

"Are you okay? I heard a scream–" I asked.

"Those were my brakes screeching." Then she put the phone down.


At 8:30pm, she called and said, "The security guards found my car in Basement Parking Level One but my driver's nowhere to be found. They've paged him already."

"Ask the guards to check inside the car – maybe kidnappers tied him up in there, and are waiting for you," I spoke slowly, horrified at the thought.

At 9:30pm, my phone rang. "Found him. Said his phone got busted. He didn't hear any ring or any text message beep."

"But he got the messages?" I was so perplexed.

"Yup, they were in his phone inbox," was her exasperated reply.

"What an excuse!" I exclaimed to S. Then I thought to myself, "What a lie!"

Consider the facts: (1.) He knew that S would only take a short while at Santis Deli. (2.) Four and a half hours had passed since he dropped her off. (3.) All the text messages telling him to fetch her were in his phone.

Was he lying or not? What do you think really happened?

For me, the mystery was far from over.

(Top) This rare 'secret' bear with a big '?' on its forehead is the Series 3 Artist Be@rbrick by famous Japanese DJ-turned-streetwear designer Hiroshi Fujiwara. The "HTM" logo on its chest is from his spring 2002 streetwear line for Nike.

Click here to check out his blog / artworks.

chameleons

One bear, different designs. Below, left to right: (1.) One of Series 12's secret bearbricks is this bat-bear in black from Japanese fashion brand Roen (2.) A blue green surrealistic bear from the 2007 San Diego Comic Convention, by New York Pop Artist Ron English (3.) Pink bearbrick by David Flores for Los Angeles streetwear store, X-Large (4.) Bear in shades of blue with the symbol of singer/songwriter/actress Hamasaki Ayumi to promote the 2003 A-Nation concert tour in Japan.


One babe, multiple looks. (Above, left to right) Dutch supermodel Kim Noorda looks (1.) understated in Bottega Veneta, (2.) glamorous in Christian Dior, (3.) trendy in Emilio Pucci, and (4.) corporate in Moschino.

Because of Kim's classic, soft features, her face is the ultimate canvas for any make-up artist. Her brows can be darkened to convey strength, her lips can be thickened to look more sensual, her eyes can be outlined for that edgy goth look, etc.

That's why fashion designers love her. Just last spring 2008, she walked the runway for more than 50 different brands. From Diesel Jeans to Louis Vuitton. From pret-a-porter to haute couture.

Just like a Be@rbrick, she's the consummate chameleon.

Kim Noorda pics from style.com / info from bellazon.org

survival of the fittest fashion

Isn't it interesting how the theory of natural selection also applies to clothing? Through centuries, impractical garments such as long capes and veils, petticoats, corsets, and kilts have practically gone extinct. But essentials like coats, dresses, hats, belts, shoes, shirts, etc. have evolved and survived.

Sexual permissiveness encouraged the switch from old-fashioned pantalettes to today's skimpy thongs. Global warming transformed the chemise undergarment into outerwear. Likewise, today's focus on fitness and six-pack abs lowered pants' waistlines to hip level.

Take denim jeans, for example. They are among the oldest garments that ever existed, yet today – more than a hundred years after Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis invented them – they have remained young, hip and in fashion.

The reasons are obvious – denim jeans are comfortable, durable, and look better with wear and tear. Better yet, fashion designers can reshape, embellish, dye or distress them – and the results always turn out fab.

Denim jeans are undoubtedly durable, but thanks to their amazing adaptability, they've truly endured the test of time.


JEANS TODAY (Above, left to right): Loose hiphop style at Yohji Yamamoto's Y3 show. Slim and sexy at Dolce & Gabbana.

(Top) The Levi's Jeans Bearbrick comes free with every purchase of Levi's special 501 jeans or 'Origin' t-shirt. Check out the official website here. Produced by Levi's Taiwan and Medicom Toy.

Info from hypebeast.com & levistrauss.com / Runway pics from menstyle.com

be@rbrick bares it!

The Be@rbrick as underwear model?

Yup. Check out the sexy bear on the left wearing lacy black lingerie and fishnet stockings. This little hottie joins the equally foxy Fergie (below), former vocalist of of the hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas, as underwear model for Peach John, a Japanese mail order company.

Remember when former rapper Marky Mark (now Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg) posed in his undies for Calvin Klein? That sold bundles of boxer briefs. And though I don't think it did anything for his musical career, it gave his abs instant fame.

Like they say, sex sells. But I hope, for Fergie's sake, that it sells songs, too!

british designer be@rbrick

"F___ everybody except us," says the t-shirt on the Be@rbrick you see above.

Such audacity and irreverence can only come from British designer Vivienne Westwood (left), the fashion iconoclast responsible for bringing punk style (bondage gear, razor blades, safety pins, bicycle/lavatory chains, spiked dog collars, wild hair and make-up) into the mainstream. She started to gain fame when the punk band, The Sex Pistols, began to wear her outrageous fashion.

In September 2006, in collaboration with the British civil rights group called "Liberty", she created 'I am not a terrorist, please don't arrest me' t-shirts in support of the writ of habeas corpus.

Notorious for going knickerless, she twirled around to reveal her derriere (and more!) when she collected her OBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in 1992. In 2006, she was made a dame by the Prince of Wales.

A three-time awardee for British Designer of the Year, Westwood has been influential in launching the careers of other British designers like Patrick Cox. Remember when supermodel Naomi Campbell fell on the runway in 1994? She was wearing Patrick Cox's 9-inch heels for Westwood's 'Clint Eastwood' collection.

Westwood's reputation and successful career in fashion was a result of an unabashed and undying self expression. Clearly, it wasn't about making fashion statements, but rather, about her own life statement coming into fashion.

(Top) This Westwood Be@rbrick is one of a set of three.

Pic of Westwood's London shop on Conduit Street by me / Pics of her 2008 spring-summer men's collection are from the catalogue which I got from her shop / Info from Wikipedia

the third eye

Last week, I attended the shoot of a television commercial. During dinner break, our conversation drifted to the subject of people with 'third eyes'.

Yup. Mediums. Clairvoyants. People who see dead people.

According to our director, his daughter started to see ghosts when she was very young. Obviously, it was difficult for him at first, having to deal with unseen playmates, psychologists, parapsychologists, mediums with spooky stories, and a host of otherworldly experiences.

But while he initially considered his daughter's paranormal faculties 'scary and alarming', he now has no choice but to accept it as 'useful and practical'.

One summer, he brought his whole family for a vacation at a beautiful beach house. After a quick tour of the place, his daughter told everyone, "Just avoid the small room on the left." And why was that? According to her, it had spirits that were "not very nice." (Experienced mediums will tell you that some ghosts are more malevolent than others. And that they can tell just by how the spirits look or smell.)

Well, it must have been a relief for the family that the house had many other rooms to choose from! LOL

Another medium who has put his gift to good use is a broadcast producer, Mr. D, who I met when I was working at JWT Manila.

One day, he visited the house of his friend whose daughters had been constantly sick for unexplainable reasons. True enough, he discovered a hostile presence hiding in one of the rooms. (According to Mr. D, he could smell the room's stench from outside the door!)

And so he invited the spook to his car, drove it to a farm field far away, and left it there for good. Soon after that, his friend's daughters recovered from their mysterious ailments, and they all lived happily ever after.

I guess having a 'third eye' has its benefits. If you're one of the poor souls who see the spirits among us, think of it this way: in times of trouble, you know you'll never be alone. LOL

(Top) The Eproze Be@rbrick with three eyes was designed to commemorate the online retail store's 7th anniversary. The pic that you see above is from the Eproze website that sells exclusive streetwear labels such as Mack Daddy, Devilock, Revolver, etc. Note the push-button console beside the 'Eames-style' chair and stool – such a sleek representation of online shopping, isn't it?

Info from Wikipedia and Eproze.com / Third eye pic from www.advancedmindpower.com

bondage made beautiful

This Christmas, I received a most beautiful and interesting gift from a dear friend – a metal handcuff (below, left) from Dolce & Gabbana's Fall 2007 Collection.

I love it tremendously – even if I am not into bondage or S&M. In the creative world of advertising where I exist, edgy accessories are perfectly acceptable, if not expected.

Bondage is a recurring theme in fashion. Remember when Elizabeth Hurley (Hugh Grant's ex) stole the show at the UK premiere of 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' in a Versace bondage dress? Way before that, British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood successfully incorporated the bondage concept into punk fashion.


Dolce & Gabbana's latest campaign (below) features sexy young dominatrixes (wearing metallic bondage belts) forcing their half-naked male subjects into submission.

How such a concept can successfully seduce people is a bit of a mystery to me. Maybe, we are all secret sadists, masochists – or both. Come to think of it, we all feel pleasure when our enemies endure pain. And each of us will sometimes choose to suffer through a challenge than to be bored by ease.

(Top, right) Bondage Bear: The metallic silver bear which I've tied to a metal post is Series 11's Artist Bearbrick based on Naoki Urasawa's 'Monster', a Japanese anime produced by Studio Nuts. The bloody message on its chest (in German) is a cry for freedom: 'Help! The monster in me will explode!

dr. romanelli's cure for the cold

Dr. Romanelli or Darren Romanelli can't cure the sick, but he can definitely offer anyone relief from the cold.

He designs and manufactures jackets – and I'm not just talking about ordinary jackets. I mean... lookit these customized bombers below! Aren't they hot?

The back details are something else. For me, they score an A+++ for form and function.


Tasteful color combinations are accented with striking hues!


The question is, of course, the price. I bet these are gonna cost you...

Dr. Romanelli's retail space cum gallery in Los Angeles called 181 Martel carries the wonderful products you find on his website. But you will also find DRx goods at selected stores around the globe (Paris, Geneva, Berlin, Melbourne, New York, Tokyo, Vancouver, Seoul, London, Sydney, Honolulu, Boston, San Francisco and Hong Kong).

A great deal of the stuff are collaborations with known brands such as Nike (jackets, sweaters, shoes), Looney Tunes (custom toys, streetwear), and Jaeger le Coultre timepieces (jackets with built-in custom wristwatches – which Madonna wears). Aside from designing street fashion, the University of Oregon graduate also creates marketing campaigns (Disney, Fox, Warner Brothers) and manages a LA rock band (Ima Robot).

With a list of credits like that, I bet Dr. Romanelli is always on 24-hour duty.

The newly-released Dr. Romanelli SF Be@rbrick is part of Series 14. Its design is adapted from the scrub suit costume that Romanelli designed for Looney Tunes characters Bugs Bunny and Tweety Bird.

(Jacket pics / info from dr.romanelli.com)

suckers for shine

What's in a flashy silver bag that drives women to obsession?

When Louis Vuitton launched the Miroir Line, bag lovers went crazy. Below are some of the things they said about it in a discussion board. (Note that the average price of such a bag is US$1,000+.)

"Love them all! I have three and they're compliment magnets for sure."

"I love this bag!! Everyone tries to buy it from me on the streets!"

"I adore this bag. (Love the idea of using it to touch up my lipstick!!)"

"I have to have one of these. Now, I need to figure out how to buy it without my husband knowing..."

"I called LV... the waiting list was closed..."

"When I got home today I picked up the phone and called all over the United States and actually found one! A store in Colorado is shipping my silver Inventeur Pochette on Tuesday. I CAN'T WAIT!"

Funny, but come to think of it, toy collectors like myself are not any different. Visit any toy forum on the Net and you're bound to read comments as fascinatingly shallow and fanatical as the ones you've just read. Non-collectors will never understand us. But do we care what anyone thinks? Nah.

As one of those Louis Vuitton addicts might say, 'Life's too short – give me one of those silver thingies, please!"

(Above, left) The Silver BWWT Bearbrick was conceptualized by Hajime Sorayama, an award-winning Japanese artist who is well-known for his hyper-realistic illustrations of 'sexy robots' (right). He started out as a visualizer in an ad agency and to date has published numerous books, worked on several movies, and designed the famous Sony AIBO pet dog robot.

(LV bag pic & commentaries from forum.purseblog.com)

creatures of the night

Before you sleep, turn off the lights and stare into the darkness. Chances are, you will see nothing. Yet, you may feel that you're not alone – that unseen beings
watch you as you lie awake in bed.

Prada's recent print ads tried to capture the mysterious allure of night creatures. (Below) Models perched on tree branches, half-hidden in the shadows of the urban jungle. Like owls and other predators – they looked ready to pounce on innocent prey.

Let me tell you a chilling story about one such creature.

One night, my driver, Guido, and his wife, who was then pregnant with their second child, were preparing to go to bed. Suddenly, they heard frantic voices from outside. He rushed to the wide open window and saw his sister and brother-in-law (who lived directly across them in old San Juan) on the ground, their arms pointing wildly towards the roof of their house.

Guido promptly looked up and froze. His face turned white, and his skin crawled as he stared into the glowing red eyes of a tall shadowy figure. It glided over the tin roof towards him, arms outstretched like a skilled tightrope walker. After three horrific seconds of eye contact, the dark figure suddenly leaped off the roof.

No one saw it hit the ground, and certainly no one heard it crash on the pavement. But where did it go? Was it an 'aswang', a bloodthirsty ghoul in Philippine folklore which fed on the innards of unborn babies?

From time to time, Filipino urban legends such as this would surface like night creatures and strike terror in the hearts of believers. Often, they would spread through cheap tabloids, eclipsing public scandals that involved corrupt politicians and other dubious people in power.

Did I believe Guido? Yes. It wasn't hard to imagine that such a creature existed. After all, there are other monsters – humans all – far more evil, destructive, and terrifying. And they walk among us everyday. :-)

(Top left: My Robot Owl Be@rbrick from Series 8.)

camo comes out of hiding

The army camouflage, once worn to blend with the background, is now sported to stand out.

'Camo', for short, emerged from the fashion ranks years ago and since then has invaded millions of closets worldwide. Brands like Polo, A/X, Diesel, Bathing Ape and Industrie peddled the pattern in full force. Likewise, Nike, Adidas and Converse fans marched the streets in funky, camo footwear.

Recently, hip designers like Alexander McQueen, Michael Kors, and Jean Paul Gaultier (above, left to right) continued to dress models in combat-inspired gear, years after the pattern first hit the runway. Like stripes and checks, will camo be the next classic? Will it survive next season's trend wars?

Who cares? I love camo – from my Series 2 Pattern Be@rbrick (top, right) to my camo jeans, shorts, shirt, and belt. Going through life is like going to war – I say, better be dressed to kill! :-)

(Camo fashion from men.style.com and ARD.de)

hello be@rbrick!

The obsession with toy figures has never been more spirited than it is with Hello Kitty, the Tokyo-born and London-bred kitten with no mouth. Wearing a signature bow near its left ear, Kitty's likeness has appeared on every conceivable retail item: from clothes, bags, shoes, and jewelry to pillows, towels, phones, compact disc players, electric guitars, etc.

Not only that – this fab feline has also been linked to a great number of celebs. Mariah Carey, Cameron Diaz, Heidi Klum, Steven Tyler, Christina Aguilera, Carmen Electra, Mandy Moore, Ricky Martin, Britney Spears, Lisa Loeb, and Nicky Hilton have all been spotted sporting Hello Kitty goods.

(Above, right) The pink Hello Kitty Be@rbrick is part of Series 9. Impossibly cute and pink almost to the point of kitsch, it's a cult classic, a definite must-have.

Just like that purr-y purse is to Paris Hilton (left).

(Paris pic from People)

from hardcourt animal to hardwood art

From the Nike Bear Force One Series comes... the Woody Be@rbrick!

Question: 'What does Nike have to do with wood?'

Answer: The wood board pattern represents the hardcourt (usually made of maple), the arena of basketball greats such as Michael Jordan (Nike Air's image model).

Without the usual Nike logo, this bear looks less of the promotional item that it is and more of a wooden pop sculpture. Isn't that more artful? Thanks, Nike. I like it when Be@rbricks aren't too commercialized.

Speaking of ligneous art: My artist friend from New York, Christina Quisumbing Ramilo, just showed me her new work – a series of totem pole assemblages (right) made of recycled Philippine wood such as yakal, narra, guijo, and ipil.

Christina has always been interested in old-style architecture, and these 'found' objects gave her the chance to venture into interesting compositional excursions. Life-sized jigsaw puzzles, so to speak. The wooden stairs, banisters, and even wood shutters served as the puzzle pieces.

She's putting them on show this month and I think they'll be a hit.

Knock on wood, Christina! :-)

Postscript: You can catch Christina's art in the Group Show, 'Ara Pacis' (Altars of Peace), which will run from April 20 to May 11, 2007 at the West Gallery, 48 West Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines. Other featured artists are Popo San Pascual, Mario Fernandez, & Ava Lugtu.

the great unwashed bear

What a dirty little Be@rbrick – a scowling slob with soiled undies, runny nose, food crumbs around the mouth... and you haven't even seen the shit in the back yet! (Ooops!)

JUICE, the edgy street fashion store owned by Hong Kong pop royalty Edison Chen (below right), celebrated its 2nd year anniversary with this scruffy 'So...Hi!!' Be@rbrick (left).

TIP: The best way to clean a Be@rbrick is to give it a bath. Soap and water. Don't worry, it's made of hard plastic, and the design doesn't come off. Just leave them on a towel to dry.

But never, nevah use a loofah, okay? :-)

(E. Chen pic from www.thememagazine.com)

yo bear & ho babe

Yo! Lots of Be@rbricks out there are designed and produced by hip street wear fashion brands such as Stussy, SSUR, BAPE, Mastermind, and Nike.

Among these is the Series 13 Secret STPL Be@rbrick (right) from Staple Design, a graphic design firm and fashion brand founded by New Yorker Jeff Ng.

Ng and his team have designed for other brands such as Nike, Louis Vuitton/Moet Hennessy, Timberland, Sony Playstation, Puma, Burton Snowboards, Uniqlo and more.

To promote Staples' 10th anniversary, Jeff Ng teamed up with Japanese photographer Yonehara to creates a series of photos starring Japanese porn star Maria Ozawa wearing the 10th Anniversary t-shirt (left).

The X logo (10 years) on Maria's tee is the same one that's on the STPL Be@rbrick. Now doesn't that just give a whole new meaning to these cute little toys? :-)

(Ozawa pic from www.stapledesign.com/jeffstaple)