Category Archives: Fashion Smashion
‘We’re a Culture, Not a Costume’ Campaign + 5 Fun Ways to Fight Racism on Halloween
I love the in-yo-face message the empowered Students Teaching Against Racism (STARS) at Ohio University are sending to the jackasses who still choose to wear these riDICKulous costumes on Halloween. But these kids look REALLY friggin’ sad.
And it makes me a little sad to look at these pictures because I’ve been there before. I’ve felt those feelings of anger, shame, embarrassment and overall sucky-ness that has ruined my Halloween night one too many times.
I know that I’m going to see one or two of these jackass costumes on the street somewhere, and that I’ll probably get a little sad-clown on the inside (and then go have a fifth of vodka)–but I hope these kids don’t. I hope they and all kids of color have a damn fun Halloween night despite all the inevitable cultural appropriation.
And to help with that, I’ve come up with
5 Fun Ways to Fight Racism on Halloween
- Play a racist costume drinking game. Every time you see a racist costume, take a shot. (The drunkenness will help with the rest of this list.)
- Hand out awards for Best Racist Costumes. The possibilities are endless. You can go with the old schoolyard trick of putting stickers on people’s backs, hand out gift certificates to bad restaurants, or offer to buy a round of shots for the winners if you’re in an especially feel-good mood.
- Ask uncomfortable questions and/or be ironically racist. Ask someone what they’re doing this far north of the border. Tell them they should probably go back to their own country. Walk up and say, “Hayyy, whut up my ching chong nigga!” (or another equally offensive, awkward-moment-inducing slur related to their costume) while you slap them on the back with a sticker that says “Racist Costume Award.” (Warning: This could potentially backfire on you, as the person you’re mocking might totally be into it.)
- Do a racist costume scavenger hunt with your friends. Whoever takes the most pictures of (or with) racist costumes gets a bottle of Patron–or whatever sweet prize you choose. Bonus points for anyone who gets the costumed person to do chinky eyes.
- Take pictures. Post them online. Create a blog using the pictures you took and add LOLCats captions. Get 100 “likes” on Facebook. Bonus points for anyone who can Photoshop Sad Keanu in the background of the pics.
Happy Halloween! I hope you all come up with some kickass original costumes.
Jenny Rain
Popularity: 2% [?]
‘Yellow Model Chick’ is Actually White Girl with Taped Slant Eyes [Fashion Smashion]
Two steps forward, one mile back.
I JUST read a thoughtful article on Hyphen’s blog discussing the new “Asian model trend” (The Minority Model: The Not-It Girl). Now I’m reading about how Anna Dello Russo gave Caucasian model Crystal Renn slant eyes for a Japanese Vogue photo shoot. All I can say is [-_-]
Watch the video of the photo shoot:
Seriously? There’s all this buzz about Asian models, and you want to tape a white girl’s eyes to make them slanty? Perhaps Anna Dell Russo was confused. It’s “yellow model chick,” not yellowface. I am utterly, entirely confused. Crystal Renn is beautiful, and you don’t need to tape up her eyes. Asian women are also beautiful, and they don’t need to get surgery to make their eyes rounder.
Best case scenario? Anna Dello Russo give Crystal Renn slant eyes intentionally to send a message to Asian women who want to have cosmetic eye surgery that they’re just as ridic as a white girl taping up her eyes.
Perhaps Vogue should hire me as their PR rep to spin that shit. Or maybe they just need to get with the times.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Stylish Glasses for the Asian Face
So, I’ve been catching up on some of my fav Asian American/race blogs and happened across this post on 8Asians.com about a new eyewear shop that caters specifically to Asian Americans. The shop was started by Filipina American optometrist, Katherine Manalo, who’s based in Richardson, Texas (big ups to D-town!). Check out the full interview with Ms. Manalo on 8Asians. Perhaps you’re thinking, “Why do AAPIs need special glasses?” Here’s the explanation from EyewearEnvy.com:
Why Asian-Fit EyewearProper fitting eyeglasses are important for everyone, but no one has a harder time finding frames that fit than Asians. A typical Asian’s facial features include a lower and less prominent nose bridge, making it more difficult to find frames that fit, especially plastic frames. Most frames manufacturers in America do not take this into consideration in their designs, leaving Asians with poor fitting frames and a limited selection of styles.
In many Asian countries, this is less of an issue due to an increased awareness of anatomical differences, and also the obvious greater demand. Despite the increasing Asian-American population, as well as the fact that many of them need to wear glasses, there has been a lack of selection to meet this demand. Recently several eyewear manufacturers, most notably TC Charton, have recognized the need and begun designing eyewear exclusively for Asians.Tested for Asian Fit
To ensure our frames fit the unique features of an Asian face, we go through a series of test to ensure the fit is comfortable and secure. This begins with the source of our frames, we order them exclusively from US manufactures specializing in this design or directly from Asian manufacturers. From there we test each frame on a focus group from different Asian nationalities selecting only the frames found comfortable and positively reviewed.
Kudos, Katherine Manalo, for ensuring that none of us four-eyes will ever need to do the ‘nerd pushup’ (i.e. constantly pushing up our ill-fitting frames on our shorter-than-average nose bridges) ever again. I only wish that I’d stumbled across this shop before I’d gotten LASIK. If you still haven’t gotten LASIK and/or want some properly fitting, stylish frames for your Asian face, check out EyewearEnvy.com.
In addition to solving a problem that secretly plagued the AAPI community, Katherine Manalo’s inspired me to think about other secret or not-so-secret fashion challenges faced by us. My wish list of items is below. If some of you entrepreneurial AAPIs out there want to take it upon yourselves to solve them/start your own businesses, feel very very free.
Maxi Dresses
I can’t wear these because when I do, I’m a far cry from Gisele. My five-foot-two-inch self is rather like a 7-year-old at a slumber party, dressed up in mommy’s women-clothes. Yet, there they are, racks of these summery dresses in every store, taunting me with their long, flowing fabric and fab prints. I suppose I could get the thing tailored and just chop off a foot of fabric, but the cut probably won’t be the same and most of the interesting print will likely go bye-bye.
Necklaces
On her, it reaches the waist. On me, it reaches the crotch.
Rings
Rings are to my fingers like Lohan to a wagon: constantly falling off! My fingers are small and thin and cold and in dire need of some adornment.
Watches and Braclets
My wrists are small and thin and cold and in dire need of some adornment. Yeah, so I just said that a second ago about my fingers. But it’s true. I’m just small and thin and cold all around, and it sucks. I’ve worn bracelets as armbands and anklets before. I’ve used a needle to poke a hole in a leather watch. But then I got an iPhone and it solved everything. So, it’s not a huge deal to me.
What things annoy you due to your stereotypically Asian or non-Asian physical features?
Popularity: 5% [?]
MTV VMAs 2011: Who Wore Asian Appropriation Best?
I didn’t watch the VMAs last night because I don’t have cable. (But if I did, I wouldn’t watch the channel that now exists only to make 16-year-old girls with tons of money to blow on a birthday party or with unplanned babies feel self-entitled). I do, however, have internet, which made it hard to avoid the fashion crimes perpetrated by Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj below.
So, who wore the better Asian appropriation outfit?
1. Katy Perry in a Day-Glo “Geisha outfit”:
"I ruv my My Ritto Geisha Pony outfit! Matching your parasol with your dress color: SO IN. Matching your roots with your cotton candy hair dye: SO OUT. "
2. Nicki Minaj in a self-described “Harajuku Barbie” outfit:
"Gwen Stefani had actual Japanese girls as accessories. But I can't afford to have any flown in from Harajuku, so I'll just drag this creepy-ass cat scratching post around with me."
I vote Nicki Minaj. I mean, wow, what an intriguing statement. Is that a ninja mask or a SARS mask or just your garden variety Japanese allergy face mask? Or all three…? She’s obviously taking a stand against the cat slave labor perpetrated by whoever makes the Maru videos, am I right? Cats are not a piece of meat! At least not in Japan. In China, well…that’s a different story…
But what’s with the resurgence of whore-rientalized outfits? I thought I had at least two more months before Halloween to purge my mind of last year’s fashion horrors. I blame it all on this:
Top 10 Girls Perform – Sonya Tayeh (Geisha Routine) – So You Think You Can Dance?
Well, at least all these ground-breaking, thought-provoking Asian fashion statements almost me made forget about this guy:
"I'm biting Ralph Macchio's style, but because I'm not doing Macchio-as-Daniel-san it's completely inoffensive and kind of really boring."
One day, I’ll be able to stop blogging about geishas. I keep telling myself that.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Eye Candy + Artsy Costumes from Artist Mika Ninagawa (Post-Halloween Anti-Fetish)
Need a post-Halloween sugar rush? Check out these eye-candies from artist/photog Mika Ninagawa‘s new book:
Chiaki Kuriyama as some sort of animal-lover/forest princess
Something awesome is 'bout to go down, I think
"Lady Gaga wishes she could!"--Chiaki Kuriyama
Rie (fly, like a superhero)
Sad clown under a flower...d'aww. (Bjork, is that you?)
Jessica Michibata is hawt. The end.
Now THAT’S how you do Asian costumes. I want to dress like one of these pipl next Halloween. But peeps might just think I’m “being really Asian.” And then someone will inevitably tell me to “go back to my own country.” Well. C’est la vie.
Popularity: 3% [?]
