ziqzaq

I'VE MOVED!

2011-08-07T00:51:00.002+08:00

(click)

get people-rain tears

2011-08-06T23:15:00.001+08:00

LOVE #6 the model covers

2011-08-04T17:30:00.000+08:00

from the top:

Lara Stone

Kristen McMenamy

Daphne Groeneveld

Mariacarla Boscono

DEBUT OF BITE

2011-08-02T21:24:00.000+08:00

sebastian suave & ash stymest on FIASCO the raw issue

2011-07-31T19:33:00.001+08:00

ash=the most beautiful human being on earth

BRIXTON AUTUMN lookbook 2011

2011-07-31T15:10:00.000+08:00

i'm drawn to this because of the photojournalism feel,its like a coffeetable compilation of a band's own photos.I like it when fashion is carried through a strong narrative,more often the clothes alone need no accompaniment,but sometimes it works

three young IT girls on their own cover of LOVE magazine

2011-07-29T08:40:00.000+08:00

lets get it out of the way: hailee and chloe look great on their covers.hailee has had her miu miu ads and was genuinely terrific in true grit,she has a sweet face that is in its very odd way,sexy beyond her years.and chloe,who i'm mostly impartial to (like most celebrities who appeared on 30 ROCK her character was horrible and uninteresting),but girl has a natural intensity that makes for some good actressin.

BUT ELLE FANNING OMG

this is how cults begin.this is what beauty looks like.this is what all magazine covers should aspire to become.absolutely ethereal and witch-like,the styling and lighting,though similar to the other two covers,create a different look/mood on elle's cover-I've seen every movie she's made,and she alternates from amazing to mediocre but for someone that young to have already realised so much of her potential is rare,and she is absolutely stunning.I love how the LOVE typeface is so complex and weedy,but the rest of the cover is simple and to-the point. Elle's cover is definitely in the running for being the year's best.

ethan james for SENSE august 2011

2011-07-21T11:09:00.000+08:00

the haughty daytime drug dealer/unwanted orphan look on his face and the two black jackets,this DIOR HOMME look is perfection head to toe,though his long legs would make anything look good

claudia schiffer for VOGUE GERMANY aug 2011

2011-07-19T20:25:00.000+08:00

YOU ARE STARING IN THE FACE OF ABSOLUTE FLAWLESSNESS

this is what an iconic cover looks like

10/10

adnan djinovic for MARC JACOBS f/w 2011

2011-07-15T23:00:00.002+08:00

I think marc jacobs generally makes terrible clothes,its normally very apparent in his womenswear-for which the new ad campaign features girl-of-the-moment elle fanning (whose sofia coppola movie 'somewhere' I liked,but she's yet to grow into an actress and is often very obsessed with her hair-i'm being nitpicky,but its annoying) and helena bonham carter,shot by jurgen teller,who seriously needs to be fired off the jacobs wagon-the new campaign shots look tired and the clothes look ugly bordering on evil. here i'm glad to see the absence of pejic or some other novelty,the model is handsome and servicable and the lookbook is surprisingly void of theatrics-the denim jacket with the details on the back,and the shoes with their zig-zag pattern-look genuinely nice-though the measurements and fit on both pants are weird and distracting.

here's a classic marc jacobs-look at that huge bag probably made of ostrich leather or something ridiculously exotic and expensive,the bag is clearly meant to be a statement piece to anchor the collection-but like the rest of the bags and accessories in his collection it looks so fucking cheap,with the metal bits and the jarring way it was sewn,and its just constructed like a bag a little 4-year old would bring to school.its just fuck ugly,the kind of quality i normally associate to his brand.

depressive states and their odd effects

2011-07-15T22:23:00.000+08:00

Suicidal is a heavy word for what I sometimes feel,I've never felt the urge to take my own life-its more of an everyman plague,routine ups and downs that alternate to an order I rarely dictate-in these moments the value of my life dwindles to a dot and I'm suddenly prone to take enormous risks,instantly denominating most people and things to a casual nothing.

I begin to contemplate,and sometimes act on,major changes be it relationships,career and often they involve some key figures in my life,who then become casualties to my impulsiveness,I make decisions in a hazy state of mind and wake to consequences with a feigned indifference,a coping method that I resort to when shit gets too real and I haven't the guts to deal with it.

During these times,I let my minds wander to possibilities far-fetched.Should I move to a different country? A city with more cafes full of writers constantly jotting down things and etching stories for their own amusement,a place full of museums and galleries unlike where I'm in,where the daily traffic,back-and-forth alone consumes a huge chunk of my day,and art and culture are still widely regarded as frivolous,secondary things that qualify as pastimes rather than legitimate ways to derive a livelihood from.

But a certain part of me was built for the city,I sometimes revel in its mundanity but snapped out of these brief ponderous times,it is what it is: a city ugly with tall,dilapidating eyesores,a society with little room for individuality or voice,but it has its redeeming qualities-I'm not looking to argue on this,so I may save this topic for a later post.

Youth comes and then it will go,that much I know-but I feel withered by age and uncertainty,and at times it is only misery that manages to propel me to step outwards,experiment-because I feel I haven't much to lose,coupled with the feeling that there is nothing else I want to really gain. It is sometimes tainted with a faint feeling of optimism,or some drive to change things for the better,though to obtain some sort of clarity in all of it is difficult.

from i-D online

2011-07-14T21:48:00.000+08:00

what a week

i think i'll be writing a bit of fiction and non-fiction this weekend

my entire body feels sore,and my brain feels worn

I NEED TO CREATE

leebo freeman for ESSENTIAL HOMME

2011-07-14T21:44:00.002+08:00

does one man contemplating his reflection a photoshoot make? the simple and complicated answers are both YES.something about him that just works.

freida pinto for INTERVIEW august 2011

2011-07-14T11:40:00.000+08:00

world needs to stop trying to make her happen,she has NO presence and is physically plain as fuck

sidenote : boring cover,unrecognizable+I can tell you right now this will be the mag's worst selling issue this year (unless they go down the beiber train)

a change unasked for

2011-07-12T22:26:00.000+08:00

Change is something that comes organically and over time,we shed old skins and gain new insights with age and maturing is something inevitable,bittersweet and necessary for us to face the hard realities that come with adulthood-as the novelty and newness of responsibility fades,and I become acclimated to a kind of permanent loneliness-but at times change is an uninvited guest,pounding at the door and barging into your household,rearranging furniture and creating havoc.

It is this type of change which I have been made to bear in this past month,one that forces itself on me and is met with equal amounts bravery,cowardice,fear and curiosity-and I tell myself surviving would be a priority,I would emerge on the other side knowing something more valuable than I had before,but it is not easy.

In this time,I am confronted with my own stupidity-how could I have let this child of a personality take control the whole time,the poor decisions I have made and the even poorer methods I have used to justify them,but oddly too,I stumbled upon a certain wisdom and calmness I did not know I had-a state of mind that takes over in troubling times,I am made to observe,listen and plot my way out of my own predicament.

The cost of being unprepared for such change,is what in the long-term will best preserve me-I have gained the company of people I now know will be companions for a long time and my interactions take on a new breath,to feel a genuine connection for which I have not made to struggle or sacrifice for,to know that kindness is first a conscious choice before it settles into your behavior.

NEW OBSESSION : Chris Colton

2011-07-11T15:57:00.000+08:00

a model type with just the right mix of model-type,reluctant half-jock,former SIMPSON,and untouchably gorgeous human being.

penelope cruz for V #72

2011-07-10T23:04:00.001+08:00

i normally love everything V puts on their cover,but I DON'T GET THIS

it looks like it started off with a normal,decent picture then someone got drunk at the printers,sat on a few buttons and here's what came out+so done with this jarring red lipsmear

remember the salma hayek V cover a while back? she's laughing and rolling on the floor looking at this

harry goodwins for HERO s/s 2011

2011-07-10T22:57:00.001+08:00

pretty much flawless styling,reminds me of early i-D when the visuals spoke their own stories,pics occupied whole pages and it was all infused with color and plot

Review : Rango

2011-07-10T22:34:00.000+08:00

Rango promises a story that is witty and mature,or whatever adjectives adults love to use to describe a cartoon they try to rationalise as something that is more than a mere animated feature,sure enough this is a tale of a lizard (a newt?) who is plagued,for no discernible reason,with existential issues. He has lived his entire life confined to a glass aquarium and in the isolation,develops a vivid imagination and penchant for theater(icality). Thrown out of his cage,he strands onto a dessert and later on a story suddenly conjures-a town full of other tiny animals starved for water,and I can't be bothered to explain the rest of the story.

The first 15 minutes of this film are in fact,very promising,but later it demotes itself to what cartoons have traditionally been-it lacks a solid wit or humor,there are a few crass jokes awkwardly thrown into the mix and characters are broadly sketched and void of real background or voice,if its one thing I can't stand about cartoons is the utterly ridiculous-here its rodents on bats and wielding guns,its all too ridiculous and idiotic for words,and unlike the case of the wonderful UP! (which had dogs on airplanes-my least favorite bit) which was redeemed by its stunning exposition.

It tries to establish for itself an adult voice,an appeal for an older audience-but is constantly losing this identity and grappling for a lame mainstream feel,it is caught between being an enjoyable,heartfelt and complex story with being a boring,predictable and unfunny summertime cartoon,eventually it rests on the latter,there isn't much that is memorable from this-the music,animation work and voicework are just up to par,nothing extraordinary.

from the ERMENGILDO ZEGNA lookbook

2011-07-06T16:05:00.002+08:00

this is what I call the sexy assassin look

CHRISTOPHER KANE s/s 2012

2011-07-06T15:59:00.003+08:00

as the non-existent loyal readers of this blog probably know,the singlets and tops from the brand's last season were the few items I repeatedly obsessed over,and here the theme's carried on-prints of wires this time,I'm not really feeling it but its still an interesting concept, whereas the crops of NASA images (or whatever they were) the last time felt ethereal and dreamy,these feel cold and futuristic. the simple grey coat is nice,though the slim-fit cuts are worrisome for someone who isn't built like a model

we play the part of adults

2011-07-05T22:09:00.000+08:00

I am turning all of 24 later this year and in my mind,I have this vague feeling that I will either die an early death or spend much of my later years occupied doing something so meaningful and wondrous that I won't have time to deal with the petty dramas I have today,I feel propelled to figure out all of my life's queries and uncertainties today and I am quick to give my stunning impatience the honorable guise of a self-proclaimed maturity.

A number of the friendships I've let wither over time,and I'm learning to take the blame and am now often prepared to converse honestly and openly of such severe and awkward topics, I try to avoid feeling self-conscious or the need to sound eloquent, I confine my confessions, apologies and confrontations to words so simple even a two-year old could be taught to utter them, but I am often well-versed with these lines much too late, when the situation no longer needs saving, I feel that I let the worst past, hoping to hop on the swift breeze that follows the storm, so I can cruise into some miracle solution that will send the entire predicament away in a beautiful box bound by a huge pink ribbon.

What I'm getting at is that I find so many of us, people of my age anyway, claim to be adults though we are able to summon the bravery and call of our our dirty, monstrous ego's once we've eyed a reward for ourselves, or when we believe it is time for us to do the right thing, assuming this responsibility with a sense of high morality and righteousness we've somehow fetched to carry us through the task.

We expect others to be ready with forgiveness, for it to exist in limitless quantities and on call whenever we require it, but it is a scarce entity in me, I hold it back and let things simmer until they become unbearable, and a certain element of the friendship is lost and burnt, though often, if the two can somehow find themselves friends again, this kind of destruction can prove productive-after all, it is those who have witnessed your worst form and lasted the experience who have turned out to be life companions-but often, the damage is quick to test a friendship still growing, unprepared still.

We are fast to call ourselves adults, and we are faithful that all our bad days and weeks-the broken friendships and short relationships we have accumulated-will somehow make us a better, emotionally healthier and more knowledgeable person,but time and again what we do not realise is how often our ego gets in the way of true growth, it is something that has helped me come this far, but will for a long time, pull me back to the depths of petty fights and arguments I do not realise are similar to those I have had in my yesterdays, I pray that I eventually overcome the enemy that is my own inability to accept my own flaws and forgive others'-and hope this is nowhere near as terrible and condescending a quality as it sounds.

...

BURBERRY PRORSUM MENSWEAR s/s 2012

2011-07-04T20:38:00.000+08:00

some will only sing the blues

not a collection I was really feeling,it felt really passerby-the way these have been styled, they are obviously trying to appeal to a less discerning man-how many people do you know dress this way? the answer is : many. a crossover between the skinny asian indie kid who plays too many videogames with the trust-fund oxford boy who never really went to oxford and whose style compensates for his stupidity. these are characters,not exactly everyday people, they've toned down from the vibrant colors of last season, the innovative cuts, and resorted instead to a pale,boring blue.

things in my head

2011-07-03T16:20:00.001+08:00

1. The 2009 album by Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson, which I then proclaimed to be one of the best things to have ever come into music, is still an undisputed classic to my ears-the latter, a vacant but servicable mainstream actress, has a voice that is deep with feeling but is best constrained to short verses, and Yorn puts this into context with an album of very fast-paced songs (save the cover of I am the Cosmos, wherein Scar Jo whines for what seems is a full hour on a too-slow ballad void of art), as the lyrics mull about his then recent break-up on lines simple but comprehensive-“This feeling will not survive”, he sings on the closing track ‘Someday’, words alone have become sufficient for an album structured solely to convey the otherwise complex grief and misery associated to a Break-Up.

2. The JD Salinger book, Franny and Zooey, when the latter lays a speech that provokes the former to tears, his lecture on ego and its toxic properties, it’s a long and one-sided conversation wherein Zooey, one of my most beloved literary characters-a handsome, tormented but deeply wise Hollywood actor-picks apart her sister’s seemingly harmless despise for her lecturer, phony people and things generally any twenty-something would be prone to disapprove of. It captures how we’ve formed a hatred and dislike for so many things, and we are so liberal to decry others for their actions and behaviors-and how this quickly progresses into a personal criticism of things and people, how it festers and feeds into one’s ego and person.

PRADA SPRING 2012 PART THREE

2011-07-01T16:42:00.000+08:00

THE ACCESSORIES

the friggin golf bag

THE SHOES (which honestly,deserve a post all on their own)

the studded bags

the shoes yes,but that one caramel pair with blue soles

the scarves (not my thing,but I imagine my cat would look quite dapper in them)

PRADA SPRING 2012 PART TWO

2011-07-01T16:37:00.000+08:00

my first reaction to these floral prints is to laugh,even the models look uncomfortable in them-and sure,the top's a bit much,I can't imagine anyone except maybe johnny weir or some flamboyant gay celebrity rocking this,but the pants are generous with color and joy-truly a spectacle,every inch of it gorgeous

PRADA SPRING 2012 PART ONE

2011-07-01T16:25:00.003+08:00

EASILY MY FAVORITE COLLECTION OF THIS ENTIRE DAMN SEASON

I figure i'd better off just break it into bits and isolate parts of it I liked best,the pictures here seem to suffer from overexposure so the white fabric looks more shimmery than it should be-but first,these cartoon prints,the brand is prone to undertake some tacky element of design,something truly outrageous and long out of season-but pair it with modern fits and somehow interpret it into a way i'd never expect.The first thing I thought when I saw these prints were "oh,they'd look great on a toddler",and adults may not immediately gravitate to such lavish display,men much less prone to,but they truly shine in a way I can't quite describe-the shirt and jacket especially,may not be the most versatile items,but are truly covetable-I imagine this will be a hit among the ryan goslings and other tall,discerning slimthings

from the most cracktastic collection this season

2011-06-30T23:04:00.000+08:00

thom browne has truly gone off the rails

you need to do yourself a favor and check out this collection,and take things much less seriously

HAPPY FRIDAY OH BEAUTIFUL WORLD

paris fashion week: MR BY ROLAND MOURET spring 2012

2011-06-30T23:01:00.000+08:00

please please please let these pants become a trend,look how they slim the waist!

tres fucking chic

paris fashion week: HENRIK VIBSKOV spring 2012

2011-06-30T22:56:00.001+08:00

neat construction

paris fashion week: ACNE spring 2012

2011-06-30T22:51:00.000+08:00

clearly a conceptual collection,but there are very apparent details from womenswear here-the edges are soft,and though dark and muted,the prints are wistful-this last coat is an easy favorite,its just so soft-looking and hangs effortlessly on his frame,also the shape of the preceding sweater and the floral prints-I don't care if flowers are a feminine thing,done the right way (ie here) it produces an otherworldy,gorgeous effect

paris fashion week: LANVIN spring 2012

2011-06-30T22:16:00.000+08:00

do you not want to curl up in this suit and sleep on a block of hay somewhere in it? but honestly, the new lanvin line is all over the place,its almost like it was designed for TARGET,the cut and material looked shoddy and most of the models walking down the runway looked like thrash,i don't know what's going on

Lights of Melbourne city

2011-06-25T21:58:00.001+08:00

I know the lights of Melbourne city, it is what in a crowded room, separates me from the rest in a place for thoughts only I am held captive by, it is the noise that lives at the base of my throat, a flow of words made of twigs and lightlessness, to form shapes I can’t decipher as proper letters.

I know the lights of Melbourne city, it is the faraway voice of a beckoning force right beyond my balcony, which was built for the nighttime where I ponder upon the vast landscape of still giants, passive to cars and people passing, the world constantly on the move and I alone, and the breathless inhabitants below and around me, lie stuck and observing.

I know the lights of Melbourne city, it was once a stranger possessive and everpresent, trailing me on my path to the dimmest corners down to the embrace I receive from well-meaning friends, it was once the only company I had for a long time.

I know the lights of Melbourne city, it has ceased to become another and now lives as part of my very machinery, the shadows I last spent years fleeing from has now become a darkness I embody, it helps me write, accept and love the kindred monster I’ve turned into, it is a strength capable of rendering all else benign.

...

VIKTOR & ROLF spring 2012

2011-06-24T22:08:00.002+08:00

oh what color

from DRIES VAN NOTEN s/s 2012

2011-06-24T21:58:00.000+08:00

apart from the loose-fitting,orange pants,which I feel has long past its time,the whole way this is structured,the long shirt (with the neat way the collars tie in the middle) and how it flows past the hip,and the upturned tips on the vest down to the hems,and the thin white lines peek out-it looks tall,put together and interesting

milan fashion week: the shirts of COSTUME NATIONAL spring 2012

2011-06-19T11:52:00.000+08:00

a laid-back,masculine grey and black with such precocious collars and precise construction,those tiny buttons on a thin strip of black and this slightly loose fit with the flappy collars,what wonderful shirts

milan fashion week: BURBERRY PRORSUM spring 2012

2011-06-19T11:46:00.000+08:00

my picks from a collection that for me,was a rare miss-most of it truly looks like stuff you'd find in a hotel souvenir shop,overpriced,designed with that lame ethnic feel and placed next to thousand dollar quilts and meaningless memorabilia.the sweaters are obviously meant to anchor this whole collection-but the whole winter hipster thing is taken to stretch,I can tell you now though the shoes are going to be a permanent fixture in editorials in months ahead,they look great on print and are probably versatile enough to be paired with suits or a speedo

the most stunning man on earth for CARBON COPY #7

2011-06-19T11:38:00.002+08:00

snippets

2011-06-16T22:17:00.001+08:00

I have brief moments of complete contentment sometimes now, which is unusual especially if you know me well and the cynicism I am naturally capable of, I sometimes get a rush from knowing that I chose to be where I am at any given moment and things are going as I wanted and anticipated they would be, or when things are in slight disarray I try to jump in and let the rush sweep me away, I get lost and fixated with trying to survive this-trying to retain as much of myself as I can, and hold on to it, knowing full well it is an experience I will cherish and learn from.

I feel cities are the perfect place for lonely people, it is so full of us-conversations going nowhere, eyes wandering into the far distance, hooked on a stranger’s beauty and all that is familiar about the search, we are all on the move with little time to properly commit to many friendships without losing a few of our comrades, there is an abundance of things to do here-music and books and laughter and sadness, it is all endless for one still unsure if he’ll settle one day and finally set his eyes forward onto a still target, ultimately sure of his destination.

I haven’t written much fiction, but every night before I sleep I think about the one movie I want to make, it is a horror flick from the point of view of a teenage girl whose house is raided by a group of masked strangers, the earlier and final parts of the film I can imagine, taste and smell each second form and the expressions they all have-but there’s a middle part I can’t seem to push, its when one character loses something vital, and the film shifts its point of view to another person’s, the sentiment and personality and tone suddenly undertakes a new body,and I’m still very unsure what he does at this point.

I promised myself I’d write something, without any idea of what it would be, so there you have it.

GIVENCHY resort 2012

2011-06-15T22:46:00.001+08:00

the first outfit is how about half of the collection looks like,the same print dominates though on different fabric-its honestly a hit and miss for me,its almost as if kanye west got to creative with a weave basket.but these last two looks,THIS IS STRAIGHT UP FUTURISM YO.the cut and proportions,the v clean and v meticulous and elaborate simplicity of it,and this techofantastic flower (i'm completely ignoring the fringes),with the heavier material on the sleeves and bottom,you may think i'm obsessed about womenswear-but there's nothing special there either,most of it is bland and made for mass consumption,but these two outfits show such vivid and strong imagination-i'd gush about it for days,its just amazing

zombie boy for DE LA GARZA 2011summer lookbook

2011-06-15T18:38:00.004+08:00

looks like he's taking this modelling thing seriously,if before mugler took the literal route and dressed him to type-to match his tattoos,piercings with dark,shapeless cloths and and overall doomsday feel-finally someone is ingenious enough to contrast it with bright prints,and the result is astonishing,i just love how well the clothes here look on him

sofia coppola for LOUIS VUITTON resort 2012

2011-06-14T20:04:00.002+08:00

this shirt is AMAZING.

bey on D&C

2011-06-12T17:38:00.000+08:00

i've been listening to her new album "4" for the past two days-at first listen I was perplexed,there's a fierceness well-expected of her which is missing,and an excess of ballads/mid-tempo songs flanked by only two faster ones,but I love it anyway.its a huge improvement from her last effort I AM SASHA FIERCE,for which she and her team aggressively softened the popstar's image,and catapulted her into mass popularity,but nowhere as amazing as the overtly animalistic B'DAY.this cover is alright,i'm impartial to latex,neck up she looks like a whorehouse madam.

nick wilson for GQ UK

2011-06-12T17:34:00.000+08:00

how insane is that armani coat?its as if someone fashioned it out of marshmallow,and it settles so well on the model-the buttons and soft lining on the pockets -what haven.

jason wu women's resort shirts

2011-06-12T17:30:00.000+08:00

sorry for the absence,its been an intense week and i've had to eat many burgers to have survived it-these shirts,which i'm obsessed with,are kind of ridiculous for a man to wear,but you know me well-i love the prim,very to-the-dot construction,the ingenious mix of materials.leather lapels,collar and way the sleeves gently hug the mid-arm,the sheer and these vommitty sofa prints which I actually LOVE.i can imagine kirsten dunst or elle fanning sporting these shirts,they're so meticulously chic and put together.

russian brand HARM'S summer campaign

2011-06-05T20:08:00.000+08:00

looked through a few other pics from the catalogue,its as if a really old person went to a huge gig attended by young hipsters who more or less,both male or otherwise,wore skin-baring,monochromatic and simply designed items,then decided to replicate this,but I love the amount of detail or the few touches-the pocket zipper,woven leather belt and this anatomically geeky sweater with the side collar which resembles a v trendy cult uniform.lastly,this necklace-I can't tell what it really is-but I think I'm going to start slowly getting into jewelry,with these small,unshowy and v intricate pieces that compliment a casual ensemble

clement chaubernaud for BALMAIN fall 2011

2011-06-02T18:40:00.000+08:00

'trouble' DAZED & CONFUSED may 2011

2011-05-28T22:56:00.005+08:00

I think the best editorials are ones which use fashion and trends as a secondary factor,to the character and concept they've visualised-in this case,its a boy with an awkward haircut,who lives far in the woods in a creepy barn with his mother,grandmother accumulating a roomful of scribbled poems,there's a bit of a gendre mix and the fitting is as if he borrowed or stole those clothes from a much older men,then was styled by the two senile women of his family-but its such an endearing idea,that first coat especially is absolutely SICK,likewise in the others he is well put-together in an almost reluctant manner,I love how much thought was put into this.

raquel zimmermann for VOGUE PARIS june

2011-05-25T23:28:00.000+08:00

this to me,could have easily been a men's editorial.the b&w+studio backdrop gives a classic coffee table book feel,the hardness of leather and sweat is well juxtaposed with protruding pelvis bones and odd bumps of flesh.i'm pretty sure some of these pieces are actually men's,but even down to the details its a v well thought-out,v tasteful shoot.

abbey lee kershaw for vogue nippon

2011-05-25T23:15:00.000+08:00

this is a pretty shitty picture,but I'm just not a fan of the whoreface goes to prom makeup and underwater pineapple bridesmaid dress,but there is something about her that,I feel,inspires cult-like admiration-no doubt her face is looking too skeletal,a bit on the unhealthy/freaky side of late,and she's cruised as a high-end model whose life and personality off-stage has more or less remained obscure,but despite the mess that is this explosively neon cover,she makes it work somehow,this is some good lemonaid.

ryan gosling in salvatore ferragamo @ cannes

2011-05-21T13:48:00.000+08:00

of course it helps that he's v v easy on the eyes,but for someone to be already so genetically blessed and have the knowledge to pick a good watch and pair of shoes,its rare.the bare chest is a small conundrum in an otherwise perfect get-up,those shoes go so well with the entire outfit,gorgeous.

Early Reaction : Born This Way

2011-05-20T17:59:00.000+08:00

I was there before Lady Gagabecame a thing. I wasn’t literally there curating what would soon become herirrepressibly tacky, media-hungry public image, but I was part of the group whoembraced her when The Fame, her debut album, first came out. She was laughablethen, still is now-but Born This Way-to those who’ve witnessed her evolutionfrom the embryonic days, will appreciate the album and the value of what LadyGaga has become and stands for today.

The Fame isself-explanatory, she spoke about owning boats, aspirations of limitless wealthand her entire kitsch quickly turned into just that-Bad Romance was the firstturning point of her career, when she dared to veer away from everyday,industrial pop and made a shameless, enjoyable pop song that came along with iteverything we now wanted a popstar to be-out came a new theatrical self that wassuddenly about haute fashion, advocating for the oppressed and outcasted-agrowing cult she’d later idenfify as her “Little Monsters”.

I’ve followed her every newsitem and public appearance, and I’d have no shame calling myself a reluctant,but devout fan. Her debut took time to gather momentum, it was only a full yearbefore it took full dominance and Gaga and co knew they had to capitalize fast,lest her popularity fade and she’d exit from what was and still is a highlyseasonal, indiscriminate industry-at the end of 2010, The Fame Monster wasreleased.

What was initially meant asan extension of The Fame-the original idea was to market both in one hugepackage, hence the theme and sound of both were similar-was decided against,and The Fame Monster, released at the height of frenzy-was tacky, shoddilyproduced and aside from Bad Romance and Telephone, it was arguably, just a horrible album.

Born this Way has traces ofold Gaga, the first two singles-the title track and Judas-are terribly written,pander to some form of propaganda or biblical musing but are essentially justdumb shit pop tunes, do a good job of introducing old fans to what is now areinvented persona. The rest of the album is genuinely, unironically great. Itsounds new, is mixed and produced in good taste-there are tracks like HeavyMetal Lover that are sung in a hushed, erotic tone althroughout-and standouttrack Bad Kids has an unabashedly catchy hook in its chorus “Don’t be insecureif your heart is pure / You’re still good to me, if you’re a bad kid, baby”, itis naïve, sweet and-I hate to admit this-reminiscent of early Madonna.

There is no doubt going tobe plenty for the haters to complain about, evidenced by the online reactionsto Born This Way. The fact that she sings German lyrics in a French accent,that she actually sold out to fucking Farmville (I don’t get it), that she’sMadonna reincarnate and not inventive, that her terrible songs are saved merelyby her constant barrage of shock tactics. Little Monsters won’t care for any ofthis shit, so don’t bother, haters.

I’ve been highly critical ofher, but this album is a serious achievement in pop music-that she has used herstatus and position as a now established star, to venture beyond the usualtrappings of pop music, to have paved her own method and carved her own soundfor this album-I will now gladly endure the tabloid m-m-monster she has become.

adele for OUT magazine

2011-05-18T22:46:00.007+08:00

I know Rolling Stone,that miraculously still not defunct magazine absolutely noone reads,first had the idea of giving her WILD SEX hair,though it really takes a gay mag to amplify it to outrageous diva levels and give it that extra push.She's always been consistent with her public appearances,hair in a black bun and dressed all in black,presumably its meant to be more flattering to her voluptuous shape,and she's truly and plainly gorgeous to be honest,but now she's no longer that indoubtably talented singer-songwriter type who happens to have a TOP 40 album,she's fucking ADELE,not just anyone.Anyone who's seen her interviews or seen her live knows she is as modest and goofy as a girl can be,truly adorable,but this new ego they've given her in this photoshoot,really seals her reputation as someone to be reckoned with,a rising star with no signs of fading anytime soon.

sean o'pry by cliff watts

2011-05-17T21:05:00.000+08:00

wow.

that jil sander shirt on brad goreski

2011-05-14T11:21:00.000+08:00

a tiny pic of a tiny man

brad goreski at "art rocks browery mash"

aside from the sleazy terry richardson glasses and the fact that he looks so awkward from the neck-up,I love every bit of this,the jil sander shirt from many seasons ago I'm glad someone is finally sporting,the bright bubblegum pink of the suit and the darker buttons on it,the dancequeen shoes.a suave belt & a bit of hemming on the pants+something to cover that weird elongated giraffe neck of his would've improved this slightly,but it is otherwise v interesting,a total funfest.

anja rubik for vogue june 2011

2011-05-11T20:34:00.000+08:00

topman spring/summer 2011

2011-05-11T20:31:00.002+08:00

caleb trent for hedi slimane for man about town spring/summer 2011

2011-05-11T20:28:00.001+08:00

I AM IN LOVE WITH ALL OF THIS

one of the best things i've seen all year

sean o'pry for WONDERLAND

2011-05-08T20:19:00.000+08:00

i really don't get what the deal with the hats+cloaks+awkward poses is,but i love this last color picture where knees downward you get a dark shininess,and the delicious,creamy soles of the shoes+that one leg tipping over

stella tennant for i-D summer 2011

2011-05-07T20:58:00.002+08:00

introducing charlie westerberg

2011-05-05T21:11:00.000+08:00

don't care much for the fact that the boy's caked with a whole department's store worth of make-up and lipstick.but i love his v stoic,v photogenic features,a lot like clement,its like someone brewed a pot of v strong,but deliciously understated coffee and a wizard came along and turned it into a person.beautiful heavy eyebrows+fetching eyes,i suspect he'll be the NEW KID WE'LL SEE EVERYWHERE sometime towards the end of the year.

oskar tranum for PEN magazine

2011-05-05T20:59:00.001+08:00

they say stylists now have a stronger foothold in the world of style and editorials,having past decades where their work was mostly taken for granted.but i think that's just something people say,noone bothers to see who styled what,probably because so many of what I see in magazines and billboards and advertorials today are deeply humdrum.take for example the current trend of vibrant,loud colors,it first emerged early last year or a few seasons back and a few magazines picked up on it,this month especially you see so many of both mens and womens magazines overdoing it on this trend,what I'm saying is that so many magazines,even those who claim to be the ones to push the envelope and take the industry's most adventurous attitude,are mostly just LAME.this i suspect,boils down to the human ingredients you fill into the talent pot,and the choice of stylist will always show.here from PEN magazine,styled by Takafumi Kawasaki,a name I've never heard before-these two pics especially are so en pointe,the sunglasses of course are a bit of a brazen touch but its giorgio armani and those sunglasses are v identifiable to the brand,the polkadot jacket+harlem pants+leather sandals and the overall laid-back,modern but very astute take on current fashion is a refreshing breeze from all the other magazines who've decided to just follow suit and simply capitalize on the market's most trendiest and most VISIBLE products and behaviors.i simply LOVE THIS.

gywenth paltrow for esquire russia may 2011

2011-05-02T21:44:00.000+08:00

not typical of a men's magazine to portray something so artsy on the cover,but this is perfection

Review: Blue Valentine

2011-05-01T22:13:00.003+08:00

Blue Valentine trails a couple from their beginnings, to the eventual demise of their relationship many years later. It earned its lead actress, Michelle Williams a second Oscar nomination, when the awards season began its cycle she took her place as an underdog, and though noone thought she’d actually win, both she and the film often made news.

First it was the sex scenes which were deemed too explicit, an NC-17 rating would threaten its cinema run, it was already a film people felt they needed to avoid, it looked grim and depressing. The final result is a product that throws in near every thinkable predicament any couple could have, there’s an unplanned pregnancy, alcoholism, deception and the film in its random chronology overlaps all of this with the couple’s sweeter experiences, their first meet and sick, cutish things like that.

It was all too random, none of the emotional moments had proper build-up, I didn’t care if the couple survived or not,and in the end it felt like a film that was too self-satisfied with its own perceived artsiness and sensitivity.

There's a line from the film I really like,I couldn't find it anywhere online so I'll write what I remember.

Dean: There's something about her, I don't know...it's like when a song comes on,and you just have to dance.

farewell april

2011-04-30T23:40:00.002+08:00

alexander wang black leather diego bucket & brass studs

2011-04-29T17:24:00.000+08:00

i know girls who would absolutely kill for this

dazed & confused/vivienne westwood

2011-04-28T22:32:00.000+08:00

The Pale King

2011-04-24T23:48:00.000+08:00

So,I haven't had much inspiration to write any fiction lately,the few stories that I have are deeply meandering,have blurry characters whose dialogue I've trouble imaging but what always helps me in all of this is reading a bit of DFW. David killed himself in 2008,supposedly after years of depression and anxiety,and I think his mental turmoils show in his writing,he is usually very concise in the shorter pieces compiled into books,but his novels are a mess of epic proportions,a mass of erratic direction redeemed by small nuggets of pure genius.

He was amidst writing The Pale King in the time leading up to his suicide apparently,and the draft was left at his desk for collection by his editor,who in his foreword notes that the published version is barely edited,full of abrupt parts that fit nowhere,is immensely confusing and the book ends suddenly. I'm only a quarter-past The Pale King and true enough,there are already characters with unexplainably long names who make single cameos,there is a sense of incredible tedium as he goes through the people,places and broad anatomy of Tax and the IRS,but in between chapters there are instant,very gripping moments.

I don't know DFW or why he chose to leave the way he did,but as someone who writes fiction,I think I have some insight. People sometimes dismiss fiction entirely because by definition,it is made-up,fueled by a writer's imagination and liberty to create,mend and destroy,but we use those tools to normally dress and embellish the core truths of our unsaid fears,regrets and so on. Any piece of (fiction) work I choose to publish online or anywhere else,is in so many ways personal,I've invested more than just time on it.And The Pale King gives a small idea of who DFW was,there are brief chapters of purported fiction that mimic his earlier struggles,then there's a chapter that alleges the entire book is in fact,not fiction,things like these.

I feel a lot of grief and sadness as I turn each page,knowing this will be his last book,he is the most amazing writer in my opinion,and so much of how I write and what I do is influenced by his works that I've read. Prior to reading Brief Interviews,I wrote with caution and wrote to many unspoken rules,but after discovering DFW,I realize the human psych is an animal you can freely unleash into your writing,let it roam and live in the jungle of your imagination,let it take the shape,feel and voice it chooses to. The consequences are secondary to the kind of honesty and creative output you will observe in your writing.

I hope The Pale King will be difficult and rewarding as Infinite Jest was,and I dread the day I finish this book and once again realize,that he is forever gone.

...

ANOTHER MAN #12

2011-04-23T13:37:00.000+08:00

reminds me of the very old chinese movies I used to watch on SBS,very pensive,atmospheric and tormented,love it.the floral/print shirts+tiny drop earrings+timid fingers.

that christopher kane shirt

2011-04-23T13:31:00.003+08:00

from spring issue of 7TH MAN

simon nessman in givenchy for HERO #5

2011-04-21T18:10:00.003+08:00

i wish I was born this pretty

that floral jil sander shirt in GQ STYLE UK

2011-04-20T20:57:00.000+08:00

conceptually its not something I can imagine an average person wearing it,on the street or anywhere,its as if it was meant for an art gallery,so gorgeous.

rick genest for GQ STYLE

2011-04-19T21:35:00.001+08:00

I feel like he's an "of the moment" thing,neither the Mugler collection nor gaga's constant assault of tacky shock value are newsworthy,the tattoos are alright and otherwise he's quite plain,but this picture is the kind I would blow-up and put in a living room,this is less of fashion and more of photography.

raf simmons autumn/winter 2011/12

2011-04-18T19:50:00.000+08:00

very obvious inspirations from the recent burberry prorsum collection,the inflated sleeves and colors,even down to the type of models cast,but they've added that signature detailing, the bits of color that appear unexpectedly. some of these look outdated,or simply impractical,and the accessorizing seems more fitting for hypothermia patients,but overall I love the creativity and the sometimes childish elements to it.

a denim,leather and silk orgy

2011-04-18T19:34:00.000+08:00

from spring/summer GQ STYLE Italia

I would've preferred if the lable was tucked in or completely ripped off,but this suave mix of fabrics and colors I love,and I've been meaning to find a nice,light denim shirt that isn't misbranded as "vintage" and priced like a house.

marlon teixeira for spring/summer 2011 l’officiel hommes greece.

2011-04-17T22:48:00.000+08:00

cate blanchett on T magazine

2011-04-17T01:48:00.000+08:00

p e r f e c t

zara harem+footwear

2011-04-15T09:48:00.000+08:00

from zara april 2011 lookbook

finally,a pair of harem pants for the men & gorgeous,minimalist sandals to match

floral paul smith shirt

2011-04-13T17:08:00.000+08:00

from the uniform issue of GIA magazine

paul smith psychedelic pants

2011-04-13T17:04:00.000+08:00

from FUDGE magazine

remember few seasons back the christopher kane collection that centered on stars,galaxies and NASA images?that trend failed to take-off,because go into any store,try something with just a computed print on it and you're likely to look a bit underdressed,a lack of effort,but these pants i'd never take them off

The Painter

2011-04-12T01:06:00.002+08:00

He felt an immense weight float over his mind, making occasional contact with the direct conscience, the call of a decision still unmade, a state of wonder keen to be cut. His art had begun to suffer, the mass of a wooden brush and the melody each stroke exerted grew soft, now the viewer had to endure his spiel, an explanation he felt tedious and irksome, as if the gravity of his work had been compromised, and gradually being taken by the heft of wordplay.

He failed to animate, communicate his paintings, the message looked starved and felt broadly incomplete, but he intuited that it was a flaw within his own self that was projecting itself. A hole within his persona that when solved, would prove gainful for his art.

So he sought to make himself happy, saw his home and the friends he kept near, a lost inspiration he had not possessed conjured in the form of Asea, a tall, bodicious woman whose full lips chambered stories he felt compelled to free. She was a local grocer at a weekend market, a natural beauty deliberately guised in rags, but her scent and presence unravelled this.

He coaxed her into visiting his studio one evening, where he displayed only his best work and saw as her eyes travelled the room, legs contemplating each step forward, that her face bore a developing sadness, caught feeling possibly pity, empathy or a sense of melancholy that was alien. He had hoped that she would fill that gap in his work, the inherent lacking, but she merely stared for a long time then offered no comment though her expression kept something alive and visible.

“What is it, what’s wrong?”, he asked.

“It’s nothing”, she quipped.

“But it can’t be-“

“No, it’s nothing. I’ve never seen so much of- nothing. It’s just so palpable and so overwhelming, as if someone found nothingness itself, in its pure and most raw condition and you gave it a skin and voice. Like an animal you captured and groomed.”, she said- “Why?”.

He ushered her out then drew over each painting a blank sheet, obscuring the questions they asked and the conversation it suddenly requested. As if all of himself rushed into these paintings, parts of him he wasn’t prepared to confront or was still estranged by.

He locked the doors and abandoned these thoughts. Over time, feeling separated from it, a talent and intellgence severed off. He had no desire to paint again and was content to seek and know nothing more, observed people, nature and life where it all fell into a void and regurgitated into a harmless, untampered flow of- nothing.

...

FIASCO 'the boys who murdered love'

2011-04-11T13:06:00.000+08:00

again,the styling,the refreshing bareness and this second look is just exceptional, the lightly dotted two-piece and this art masterpiece of a shirt, sealed with a thin,beautiful grey belt,with so much excess and overreaching concepts in fashion nowadays,its nice to see someone going back to the great,understated basics but still pair it with a modern feel

FIASCO 'its a wondeful life'

2011-04-11T13:01:00.000+08:00

i absolutely love how this shoot was styled,they've embrace prints and the colors pop nicely,even if the overall tone is a bit modest and 'business-as-usual' the trousers and shorts especially breathe a quite presence,how the outfit is layered and the bleak lighting are nice touches too

that prada sweater in 10 MEN spring/summer 2011"the austrian connection"

2011-03-31T20:31:00.000+08:00

from the neck up,the model is far too pretty,everything from his eyebrows and hair and barely pouting lips are more suited for a generic GAP commercial,but these two sweaters are gorgeous,the multi-colored version has made its rounds and appeared in all kinds of editorials and covers,but I much prefer this subdued blue-white version,it still has the open collar and more of a daywear feel,both are amazing though

wshlist: topman denim jersey western hoody

2011-03-31T15:32:00.002+08:00

perfection

square two

2011-03-30T09:50:00.001+08:00

Went for a date,the first in months.

I've been avoiding the idea of a relationship,however brittle or silly,because the potential drama that comes with having feelings,desires,that you put yourself up for disappointment and let out a helpless sigh when things go to shreds,even before take-off,its all very offputting. And I've been focusing on putting things back together,other parts of my life that I let disintegrate last year,I'm slowly recouping.

I'm terrible at dates,there's a small obligation to lie,or play your best self and not overwhelm the other with your more tedious,difficult sides that take time getting used to. Then there's the flirting,sometimes so unambiguous and forthcoming it takes me off guard,the genuine chemistry hindered by both struggling too hard to make it a good first meet.

But it was a good meal,talked a lot and sometimes I think the ideal relationship is where both of us just talk and talk until we pass out,put all our insecurities and worries out for show,I'll talk all the spontaneity and sex and mystery away,which is bizarre because I'm naturally an introvert and only talk when I feel necessary,nothing worse than one who speaks to fill the void,a pointless and robotic chatterbox,maybe I need a therapist more than I need a lover,or better yet both come in one convenient package for me.

I've become so apt at idealizing,forming a hypothetical match for myself,where I brood and think indoors and plan for myself a spotless future,then I go out and the reality is much less consistent,and chemistry is not something you mentally dictate,the biology of how compatible two people are is not something I can nail down,theorize or predict.

...

simon spurr autumn/winter 2011/12 mens jacket

2011-03-29T17:13:00.000+08:00

this is what I would call a perfect look,of course its relatively conservative to all the bright garments and nifty designs we've seen the past few months, but at the end of the day, a man dipped head to toe in black, embellished with teardrop gold buttons that look like a line of stars spread across at empty night sky, black pants that fit just nicely and tuck into quiet,dark but aggressively sexual and shiny boots, paired with a clean-shaven,fresh face and very unfussy, boyish hair is the kind of look I dig. AMAZING.

low-res photos of david beckham looking his absolute best in FANTASTIC MAN

2011-03-28T07:30:00.000+08:00

clement chaubernaud (!) for adidas SLVR s/s 2011

2011-03-27T17:37:00.001+08:00

Worshipper

2011-03-25T14:43:00.001+08:00

There were few things about the night that appealed to her.

For one,its coat that relayed no apology for the absolute blackness,how the world had to cope without color and regale the skies with artificial lights and make up monsters for children to survive an otherwise uneventful routine, and its howl,the voices she thought whispered calming melodies in a language her ancestors might have understood.

The night was assured company and a predictable music next to her absent and hectic time in the day,she felt less alone and her skin and fingers felt more alive, a good feeling traveled from the ground and into her chest, like the remnants of an old, but now warm and neglectable heartbreak.

Would it suffice, this boy’s love? For all of his talk and sameness, how his words and each coming or going felt tainted by a tiresome familiarity, she felt departed unless he was in grief, warped in quietness and eyes open, seeking but unsure, suddenly they were connected, by a nothingness they both shared, a moment that seemed unbreakable, sealed by the night’s charm.

All the time wasted on age and growing no wiser than her littlest self, the energy spent to scavenge for the stones that would make up her pebbled path whose pretty, accommodating trail lead her feet onto a slow, painless journey into nowhere at all.

A day-old wish to be dead or thoughtless, the wanting kept her awake and distracted from the sprawling dreams that could have kept her safe and part of a casual, passing night who wavered not and stood its every shift.

...

yuri pleskun for fifth avenue shoe repair fall 2011

2011-03-23T21:37:00.000+08:00

very good layering,the overall grimness of the collection and mix of new,traditional and avant-garde,the folds on the drop crotch pants,white collared shirt and how the jackets are so casually paired with leather gloves,love it.if this were sold where i was,i'd have no second thoughts about going to buy em' immediately.

sebastian suave & river viiperi (!) for gq style spring/summer 2011

2011-03-22T07:30:00.001+08:00

naty chabachenko for marie claire spain

2011-03-22T07:30:00.000+08:00

with tops by burberry prorsum,haider ackerman and others,i love the pairing of soft and hard,and these biker jackets are absolutely to kill for.

new wave women's 'virgin homicides'

2011-03-21T07:30:00.000+08:00

lovely.

malthe lund madsen & victor nylander for vogue hommes japan spring/summer 2011

2011-03-19T17:31:00.001+08:00

wood wood autumn/winter 2011/12 mens collection

2011-03-18T11:14:00.000+08:00

i get it now : cole mohr for farah vintage

2011-03-18T11:09:00.000+08:00

boy can sure work a picture when he needs to ey?

clement chaubernaud (!) for vogue hommes international

2011-03-17T07:30:00.000+08:00

this is absolutely the kind of thing I would buy an overpriced magazine for,its beyond the fashion,models,clothes or photography or any of those individual components but how they come together so well,very few people have an exact idea of how they expect a shoot to be done,here the concept comes across as clear as it can be,chaubernaud even just in stills,has a life that is pulsing from the sheets,an old-school charisma and everyman swagger,this was just perfect

Review: How Do You Know

2011-03-16T11:26:00.000+08:00

How Do You Know was written and directed by multiple Oscar winner James L. Brooks of As Good as It Gets,Simpsons fame and cost a whooping $120 million,was mired by budget overruns,multiple re-writes and news that stars Reese Witherspoon and Jack Nicholson were paid upwards of $15 million,for a role in what is honestly a plain romantic film with little emotional weight and a plot that wanders in and out of focus,makes impulsive visits to Randomtown and is constantly buoyed by characters giving sudden "meaningful" I Get It Now looks,but despite all of this,I still found it an irresistible,very funny film that was surprisingly unaffected by its innate excess of Hollywood.

It tells of three characters,all severely indecisive and dealing with some form of career-based,and existential form of crisis,the generally attractive and talented cast of Witherspoon,Owen Wilson and the charming,impossibly likable Paul Rudd make a shoddy love triangle,that tries to convey some well-intentioned messages,but its ruined by terrible misdirection,there is little to no flow to the way things occur,much less why,they only seem to be heading to a paper-thin climax that finally comes and lays on our star-studded cast very superficial realizations,unfortunately involving cliched components such as buses that steal protagonists away,pregnancies by extremely minor characters that only intend to deliver an explosive birth that conveniently gives everyone a reality check,honest and heartfelt dialogue fueled on people drinking Carlsberg,and so on.

I say these things like I was deeply bothered by them,but I wasn't,yes it was a shallow and sometimes confusing film,but the first thing I noticed,was how evolved Reese Witherspoon has become. As a female jock suddenly cut from her passionsport,she embodied the character so well,and her chemistry with both Rudd and Wilson was I felt,deeply genuine and one of the warmer,believable on-screen relationships I've seen in the past few years. The script,though lead by a broken compass,doesn't rely on zingy,well-constructed one-liners and offered many memorable interactions,for anyone who has experienced or is facing crossroads,I think these stifled,uncertain characters give insight to the reality of people who are forever searching and settle nowhere,quick to latch on to any of the poignant,temporarily inspiring things others say or we discover ourselves,who feel no sense of attachment to anything and are prepared to take big risks,sacrifices for something as petty as a potential lover,or an opportunity for things to change.

I think they've mismarketed the film by putting the stars front and center,letting the news of big paychecks and rewrites dominate newsflow,and simply offering to the audience this big film with big A-listers in it,even the title How Do You Know tells you nothing,there was no effort to negate the assumption that this was merely an expensive,worthless vanity project not unlike any of the routine Johnny Depp,Angelina Jolie-type rubbish Hollywood is constantly churning. Which is a shame,because spend sometime with this film and you'll be surprised,its nowhere near the typical,dismissible cheap romance it looks to be,with some minor rewrites and a stronger direction in the story,it could've been improved,but I was contented,it was a well-acted,entertaining and very memorable piece reflective of the type of quality and intelligence I'd expect from James L. Brooks*.

*whose supposedly worst outcomes I still loved,I still consider Spanglish a sort of accidental classic,was wholly lovable,and As Good as It Gets has one of my all-time favorite lines.

james long fall/winter 2011

2011-03-16T08:53:00.000+08:00

barely washed,still drunk boys in airy,color-phobic but gorgeous knits