the way of the dragon !

Through film, art, music, tv, food and drink, we learn about other countries cultures. By eating a meal, learning a language or visiting another country we gain an insight into that countries history and way of life. 

I am mostly fascinated by many aspects of the chinese culture.

Geisha are traditional female Japanese entertainers. The most literal translation of geisha into English would be "artist" or "performing artist". Historically, geisha often began the earliest stages of their training at a very young age, sometimes as early as at 3 or 5 years. 

Geisha always wear kimono. The colour, pattern and style of kimono is dependent on the season and the event the geisha is attending. In winter, geisha can be seen wearing a three-quarter length haori lined with hand painted silk over their kimono. A kimono can take from two to three years to complete due to painting and embroidering.

The chinese culture still has an impact and influence on our lives today, especially in the fashion world. 

Spring 2011 Ready-To-Wear collections demostrated the influence of orientalism

Here are images from the Louis Vuitton Spring 2011 Ready-To-Wear show where it is evident that Marc Jacobs has drawn inspiration from Chinese culture and fashion for his designs.

It may be of interest to know that many famous and emerging designers that we highly fond of are of chinese decent.

Jimmy Choo is a Malaysian of Chinese descent, Choo initially handcrafted his own shoes and bags. Choo’s shoes are known worldwide, and he has a celebrity clientele including Nicole Richie, Katie Holmes, and the late Princess Diana.

Anna Sui is an international fashion designer. She studied at NY's Parsons School of Design. She opened her first boutique in New York in 1995, later opening an additional stores in Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Osaka. In addition to clothing, her lines now include shoes and cosmetics.

Derek Lam studied at the Parsons School of Design. After graduation, Lam worked under Michael Kors for 12 years. Lam’s clothes, like Kors’ reinvent American sportswear. He launvched his own line in 2003. Lam’s clothes have clean silhouettes in feminine fabrics. He also has a line of jewelry and shoes. He has many fashion design awards, including the CFDA Perry Ellis Swarovski Award.

Phillip Lim is noted for this feminine streamlined clothes and his attention to detail. He currently sells his clothes under the label 3.1 Phillip Lim. He launched his collection in 2004 and found immediate success. Lim says about his clothes "make them feel respectful, yet desirable all at the same time"

Vera Ellen Wang was born and raised in New York City and is of Chinese descent. Her parents were born in Shanghai, China, and came to the United States in the mid-1940s. Wang is a successful fashion designer best known for her wedding dresses. She started her career as a fashion editor for Vogue magazine. After failing to find a suitable wedding dress for her own wedding, she designed one herself. Later she opened her own bridal boutique, initially selling dresses from other designers but later own she launching her own line of wedding dresses. She got international exposure from the dresses she designed for skater Nancy Kerrigan, who wore them to the 1994 Olympics.