Travelling cultures with Barcode91

[Guest post]

I'm desperate to travel to India, but I'm the first to admit I know very little about the culture, way of life or traditional dress over there. I like to think of myself as a somewhat cultured individual but I'd be ignorant to think my repeated watching of Slumdog Millionaire or The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel put me any the wiser as to what dress is really like over there. Offering a better understanding to us all, Im passing the blogging-baton over to Barcode91 who can provide a bit of a better insight. Here's my first guest post!

Go Indian: Uber-chic in the traditional Indian saree

Have you been mesmerised by the gorgeous Indian saree yet? With six whole yards of elegance and irresistible grace to drape you in, it's quite likely that you have! However, there are many things about a saree that can intimidate you. The sheer size of the fabric, for instance. You'd love to try out the Indian look but you just don't know how to pull of this heavy piece of garment without looking clumsy. More over, you can end up looking over the top in a saree if you don't style it right! So, how do you wear a saree and still look chic and graceful? How can you avoid looking like a misfit and grab second looks instead? Well, wearing sarees might look like a huge task but trust me when I say there's isn't a garment more versatile than the Indian saree.

First up, pick out a saree that you'd love to wear. You can browse through a range of sarees online and shop for your first saree minus the hassles of going to the mall and spending hours on picking out one dress! Of course, sarees come in a thousand different styles, so choose a one that suits you the most. Keep in mind the weather, and the occasion you plan to wear the saree to. For example, you would typically choose a light, flowy Chiffon saree for an outdoor Sunday brunch on a bright sunny afternoon instead of heavy bridal sarees.

The second and the most fun part of it all is wearing the saree! Now here's what's different. Just because you're going to wear a saree doesn't mean you have to drape it the same conventional way that everyone else does, right? 

Glam your look up a few notches by draping it in a whole new style. Choose any way of draping the saree and team it up with anything as long as you're comfortable with it. If you'd like some inspiration, do check out looks that Hollywood actresses and style icons like Victoria Beckham have donned in the past, wearing the gorgeous Indian saree. Pair sarees with trendy kurtis, wear them like skirts, dresses or tie your saree like a halter gown and don't forget to accesorize this look. You are bound to make heads turn with a saree. Don't wait anymore, look for Indian Sarees online and find your perfect match! (P.S - Don't forget to send in pictures of yourself wearing your version of the Indian saree.)

MTV Swatch Playground: Scene@ SWISS JERKS

Now then, I'm the first to admit I haven't done the best job of keeping up with my MTV Swatch posts of late, what with Relocation#1 and Relocation#2 demanding a whole lot of attention. Nevertheless, blogging from a new Southern 'sphere location I'm about to get back on track. 

Creativity and collaboration are central elements to the Swatch MTV Playground; along with music and fashion, previous posts have showcased the talent and projects from collaborative artists Rankin, Alex Noble and Frank Butler. Taking it in a new direction, Scene@ looks further down the fash' chain, focusing on individuals, travelling the globe to explore emerging trends. With music as the focal point, Switzerland makes for the hometown of Swiss Jerks.  Check out the video below!

Whilst I would take being called a jerk as somewhat derogatory, in Switzerland it's accepted a compliment. As well as being the home of Lindor, swiss cheese (and whoops, I almost said Ikea), Switzerland is famed for its Jerk dance scene. Which if you didn't know, began as a lively Californian '60s dance craze, now adopted by a more hiphop crowd, and taken on as more than just a dance genre: it's a lifestyle. Characteristically, well, 'jerky', popping moves and shoulder-shugs seem pretty frequently used.  Having explored it online, and read up on the MTV Scene@ content, it seems the Swiss have tendency to break out said moves everywhere and anywhere, taking Pringles' "once you pop you just can't stop" slogan rather literally. Style-wise, the uniform seems to consist of the ever popular skinny jean, graphic tee and snapback baseball cap. I don't know what you think, but it sounds like something Fresh Prince O'Bel Air would've taken to perfectly. Read all about it here.

Now, I wonder how Sydney's  scene will take to me throwing out some of these moves tomorrow night...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GABRIELLE COCO

NYLON POST: meet the next big things in fashion

  

Screw not being here for Fashion Week. 

TALKING OF TEAL: STREET STYLE

 RIO/ RYOSUKE SUZUKI @ HTTP://RIGHTYRIGHTYRIGHT.COM/

STREET STYLE PAPPED ON MY LUNCH BREAK, BY THE EVER SO LOVELY RIO OF RIGHTYRIGHTYRIGHT. SOHO SETTING, COBBLED STREETS AND YES- NEW YORK'S UBIQUITOUS AMERICAN APPAREL SHEER SKIRT. PLEASE EXCUSE THE THROBBING HAND VEIN, NEW YORK IS LIKE, REALLY HOT. 

TEAL TIPS

DAMN, SHE BEAT ME TO IT.

SHAKUHACHI SS11 LOOKBOOK

(via ORACLE FOX)

THE DELIRIOUS SHAKUHACHI LOOKBOOK FOR SUMMER 11, CHANNELING A STRONG HIPPY-COME-PIRATE VIBE. BALANCING PRINT AND BLOCK COLOUR, CONTRASTING ORANGE AND AZURE HUES MAKE FOR A COVETABLE COLLECTION WITH THE PERFECT MIX OF MINI AND MAXI LENGTHS. OH, SHAK- YOU'VE DONE IT AGAIN. 

summer mc'lovin

WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S AUGUST ALREADY?

SWATCH MTV PLAYGROUND: FRED BUTLER AW11

NO, YOU'RE NOT TRIPPING. NOR HAVE YOU BEEN CATAPULTED TO YOUR YOUTH FOR A SHOW AND TELL FEATURE WITH POLYDRON. THIS IS IN FACT A REAL AUTUMN/ WINTER COLLECTION, FROM THE CREATIVE, CHARACTERISTIC AND YES, SLIGHTLY INSANE FRED BUTLER. 

THE COLLECTION EMBRACES TECHNIQUES AND SHAPES LEARNT FROM A RECENT EXPLORATION TO NEW YORK'S CHINATOWN. (WHICH I SHALL ADD, IS A MERE FEW BLOCKS FROM MY DAY JOB). EXPLORING PUSHING BOUNDARIES, CONFLICT AND CONTRAST, SHE HAS CREATED STRUCTURAL ACCESSORIES AND HEADPIECES.  SHOWING THEM TO THEIR FULL POTENTIAL, PHOTOGRAPHER ELISHA SMITH-LEVEROCK SHOOTS THE PIECES AMONG REPLICATED OVERSIZED PROPS. 

THESE ARE SOME OF THE SHOTS FROM HER FASHION FILM, WHICH YOU CAN WATCH RIGHT HERE. 

INCANDESCENT META-MORPH-INCESSANT

DIRECTOR/ PHOTOGRAPHER: ELISHA SMITH-LEVEROCK

STYLIST: KIM HOWELLS

FRED BUTLER ON MUSIC

FRED BUTLER, I TOLD YOU ALL ABOUT HER. AND YOU REMEMBER, RIGHT? (OKAY, RECAP)

BACK TO THE POINT, THIS IS THE FIRST OF A DOUBLE POST ON SAID LADY, FRED. AS A DESIGNER AND A FULLY FLEDGED CREATIVE, SHE WORKS WITHOUT SPECIFIED TRENDS, INSTEAD REAPING INSPIRATION FROM HER SURROUNDINGS, HER FRIENDS, MAGAZINES AND INTUITION. EMBRACING COLLABORATION AND NEW MEDIUMS, SHE COUNTS HER FASHION FILM AS MAJOR CAREER HIGHLIGHT, GIVING WAY TO NEW AUDIENCES AND NEW IDEAS OF LOOKING AT FASHION.

WITHIN THE WORLD OF MUSIC, FASHION IS AN INTEGRAL ELEMENT. LADY GAGA EMERGED AS AN INSTANT SUCCESS, AIDED NOTABLY BY HER FASHION CHOICES AND AVANT-GARDE STYLE, AND HAS LED THE WAY FOR OTHER ARTISTS TO FOLLOW SUITE. OPTING FOR THE OUTLANDISH PATHWAY HERSELF, FRED BUTLER IS KNOWN FOR HER CREATIVE PIECES AND SCULPTURAL ACCESSORIES. INTEGRATING HERSELF INTO BOTH MUSIC AND FASHION, SHE COMBINES THEM BOTH IN CREATING PIECES FOR MUSICIANS' ON-STAGE PERFORMANCES, ENABLING THEM TO BE WHIMSICAL, STATEMENT-MAKING AND DARE I SAY IT, A LITTLE IMPRACTICAL. CHECK OUT THE VIDEO TO SEE WHAT SHE HAS TO SAY ON THE MATTER, AND SEE SOME OF THE PIECES ON THE ARTISTS BELOW. 

(FRED BUTLER)

TALKING OF MUSIC AND FASHION, MY LATEST MUSIC GIRL CRUSH, OH LAND. AND OH BOY, HAVE YOU SEEN HER? SPORTING CAPES AND FLOATY ROBES IN A BETTER-THAN-FLORENCE KIND OF A WAY, HER SONGS AND HER STYLE ALIKE MAKE FOR MAJOR MUSING. 

OH LAND, SON OF A GUN

SWATCH MTV PLAYGROUND: Perret Schaad

THE WHOLE POINT OF THE SWATCH MTV PLAYGROUND PROJECT WAS TO ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY, COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY. OPENING MY EYES TO NEW THINGS, NEW PEOPLE AND NEW PROJECTS, IT’S EXCITING TO STAY TUNED WITH THE NEXT BEST THING.

NOW I’M THE FIRST TO ADMIT, MY GERMAN FASHION AWARENESS ISN’T THE BEST. RESIDING HERE IN NEW YORK, I HAVEN’T DONE THE BEST JOB AT STAYING TUNED WITH ALL-THINGS-DEUTSCHLAND. (PRESUMING WE’RE NOT COUNTING PRETZELS AND BECKS, THAT IS.) THAT SAID, WITH MY EYES OFFICIALLY OPENED THANKS TO THE TEAM OVER AT SWATCH, I’VE FOUND A NEW BRAND CRUSH IN THE FORM OF BERLIN-BASED PERRET SCHAAD. CHARACTERISED BY SIMPLE SHAPES, STRIKING SILHOUETTES AND SIMPLICITY IN COLOUR, THE LABEL’S AESTHETICS ARE OFTEN COMPARED TO FELLOW MINIMALIST ICON, JIL SANDER.

JOHANNA PERRET AND TUTIA SCHAAD ARE THE BRAINS AND BEAUTY BEHIND THE BRAND, WHICH HAVING ONLY BEEN ESTABLISHED IN 2009 IS ALREADY MAKING ITS MARK ON THE INDUSTRY, HAVING RECEIVED INVITATION TO DEBUT THEIR FIRST COLLECTION AT BERLIN FASHION WEEK. WITH PASSION FOR PATTERN CUTTING AND A PENCHANT FOR DRAPE, THEIR PIECES SHOW FLUIDITY AND FEMININITY, WITH UNDERSTATED AESTHETICS OFFERING FUNCTIONALITY. 

(SWATCH MTV PLAYGROUND)