Was reading through the Japan Times online (don't ask why) and i came across this article:
SINGAPORE FASHION FESTIVAL
Wannabe style capital puts on a 'cute' show
By MARTIN WEBB
Staff writer
(gosh, don't you know how much i wish i could have that with my byline? "staff writer". I admit, i like the whole concept of being a "journalist")
Anyway, here's a Californian working in Japan for a English Japanese newspaper writing about another Asian culture (can you see the waves collide!). Well basically his cricism of Singapore was this:
Secondly, fashion is about sex 'n' drugs 'n' rock 'n' roll -- and Singapore ain't got much of any of that. What it does have, I'm led to believe, is an abundance of rules and restrictions on personal freedom -- hardly the makings of a hotbed of creative fashion genius. No edginess, no rebelliousness, no "cool" where I'm going.
1) oddly he should be saying that singapore has "is an abundance of rules and restrictions on personal freedom" considering that he IS LIVING IN JAPAN for goodness sake! how more restrictive can ANY society be than Japan! gosh... even the LANGUAGE in japan is restrictive. I mean seriously, i just had my Japanese teacher tell me today that it is much more proper for girls to use the ending "no" or "na no" instead of "da" or "-n da" because it's more polite and gentle... Seriously!
2) BUTTT on the other hand, it made me think, yeah no shit, Japan is restrictive, DAMN restrictive for that matter... but when it comes to artistic culture whether it be fashion, design, dolls (yes Jarod), etc... they KICK ass man... And one has to ask, so how come? Where did the difference come from? If japanese society is as restrictive as Singaporean society, why is it that Japanese society are more creative?
Right. So after the lingerie parade I speak to Tara Barker, the editor of Singapore Women's Weekly who's a rather flustered English lady in an unappealing floral-print dress. She is quick to raise the two issues that singularly preoccupied most of the people I spoke to during my two days in Singapore: Can the city produce world-class designer brands? Can it become a center for fashion in Asia?
The fact is that Singapore has already produced a couple of world-class designers, but they are both based in Europe. Andrew Gn had an abortive spell at the Paris couture house Balmain, but now regularly shows his own eponymous line there. London-based Ashley Isham makes party frocks for posh London ladies, including the odd aristo and celeb, and even has his own exclusive boutique.
Straight out she asks: "So, do you think we can do it? Can Singapore become a fashion capital?"
"No," I shoot back, prompting a muffled snigger from a stylist I had just been chatting to.
But it's got no edginess, no rebelliousness and a chronic paucity of cool.
The more i read the article, the more i felt the whole familiarity of it all... the bullshit that upper-middle class new yuppies (yes man that includes you and me) of malaysia are suffering from. Same shit. (that's not good journalism elaine to curse).
But it's true. I hate the fakeness of it all. This whole thing about Singapore wanting to be the fashion capital in Asia, it's true.. There is no talent and the only talent that we have or they have were all overseas bred or made it THERE. then we claim them to be our own.... Why i use the pronoun "we" is because the same has/will be happened to Malaysian personalities who have made it abroad. And when they suddenly become famous, here Malaysia comes and grabs them and go "ahhhh loook, one of our own who's made it" I say you know what? FUCK YOU. Yeah the only thing you contributed to my success was how much i HATED you and made me want to get the fuck out of there and make it somewhere else.
That being said. I am not anti Malaysian ^^. That is why i am going home to Malaysia to begin with. I just hate the way we pretend to be something we're not.
MOST IMPORTANTLY I hate the way how we try to inflate our self image (this time i am talking about Malaysians, and not Malaysia). "ouh look at my new car" or "ouh look, i am overseas educated" or "ouh look, i go to the theaters (and i don't mean TGV) once in a while" or "ouh, i'm into Joyce" or "ouh, i do arts"... fuck that shit. i don't know. i just hate the bullshit of now people have this constant need to prove themselves. To SHOW others how much richer/smarter/more educated/matured/cultured/white they are than other people. I say fuck that shit, because deep down inside it's all bullshit, we have a mentality that stinks. I am not putting the country down but i am sure as hell criticising how people are sometimes..
all style and no substance. that's IT man. that's really IT.
that is the definition of the bullshit ALOT of Malaysians are these days. The pursuit of being seen as "cool", "in", "hip", "educated", "cultured", "white", choose your adjective, each one points to a different cult/need that you suffer from.
I say fuck the bullshit and just be yourself. Fashion capital of the world. Who the fuck cares man.
I don't say i don't suffer from these bullshit... But you know what? I value the pursuit of self understanding and reflection, to grasps your being, than to fucking impress others and tell others how smart you are and how cultured you are and try to learn up on all these bullshit just to be seen. wtf is that i ask you? at the end of the day, why the fuck are you doing it? who the fuck do you want to impress? what the fuck are you i ask you in the end? do you even know yourself? or if your self is made out of all these layers of bullshit that you use to comfort yourself and make yourself feel "important"?
love others man... that's the only place you can truly find TRUE confidence in your life and in YOURSELF that is NOT bullshit.
Friday, April 29, 2005
0 comments:
Post a Comment