I've moved on...
...to a different domain. Why, what were you thinking? The truth is, I just woke up one day and decided it's time for a change—a metamorphosis, if you will; or, in layman's terms, if Britney can shave her head, then maybe so can I? Nevertheless, it's been a rather handsome 10 years of talking to you, and thank you for putting up with all my moodswings and terrible dad jokes. Fear not! The hormonal imbalance and jokes are more terrible on CUBICLE, see you there.
Pullover & trackpant – Charlie May. Watch – Shinola ‘Runwell’.

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art direction SHINI PARK photography & styling TEAM PARK & CUBE in collaboration with Shinola

I feel like this is one topic that has been discussed numerous times before in passing, but I still wonder whether I am perhaps… a dude? Evidence suggests that I, in fact, may be a 13-year old boy, what with the lack of chesticulars and fondness to playing with matches. But on some days I find myself slouched in the pink couch guzzling down some beer or strawberry cider or another, plotting the car I should decorate my mid-life crisis with and ask myself what AM I? A pastel-purple Jaguar (they’re going to have to mix a heck load of white, red and blue at the garage) is the answer so far, although the thought of a velvet-wrapped Porsche is also pretty enticing – solely for the reason of baffling/pissing off society. Sure, this probably is an age-old depiction of ‘man’, and my feminist assistant Simon, will weep silently in a corner in the office once he reads this (#genderequality, you guys) but hey – you tell me if these evidences say ‘lady’ anywhere.

I’m getting to a point, I promise.

Now, I had not known of Shinola (pronounced ‘shy-no-la’, originating from ‘shoe-shine’) until a few months back, during a routine stalking of fine gentlemen on the intranets (you know, Monday morning thing) I came across the brand’s website. A cursory session of digging of the wonder-emporium of leather goods later, decided it was ALL made for me: The leather footballs, stationery, watches with graphically sound (and when I say sound I mean HANDSOME) faces, and MY GOODNESS the bicycles, expertly assembled and shipped from Detroit, which is where the brand originates from. They boast a strong American heritage, in value and history, and all designs are inspired by the city’s industrial past.

iPad cover, notebook, watch – Shinola.

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Bicycle – Shinola ‘Bixby’

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They boast a strong AMERICAN HERITAGE, in value and history, and all designs are inspired by the city’s industrial past.
LEFT: Top – Muji. Trousers – ASOS. RIGHT: Turtleneck – Lands’End. Trousers – ASOS. Watch – Shinola ‘Runwell’.

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I wanted to be that silently brilliant man that took pride in his profession, who treated his possessions with firm-yet-unobsessive care, and owned a fine watch because his time was currency itself. I wanted to set the boob jokes/box of matches aside, change out of that beer-stained shirt and write stories in beautifully bound stationery; roll my sleeves up and take the bicycle to a neighbourhood uncharted before – Detroit, perhaps.

So, this is what a brand with solid value system does to a consumer: it makes a man out of a boy. Add a dose of expert craftsmanship and healthy influence to a socio-economically struggling city… how many times do I have to say, great stories are infectious?

Here is a digitorial, in efforts to emulate the Shinola ‘man’, a rite of sorts, I suppose.

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I wanted to be that silently brilliant man that took pride in his profession, who treated his possessions with firm-yet-unobsessive care, and owned a fine watch because his TIME was currency itself…

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Bomber – Coach. Top – Dagmar. Backpack – Shinola. Skirt – Charlie May.
Watches – Shinola ‘Runwell’

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Jacket – Filippa K. Utility trousers – ASOS. Shoes – Acne ‘Jensen’. Bicycle – Shinola ‘Bixby’

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art direction SHINI PARK photography & styling TEAM PARK & CUBE in collaboration with Farfetch

From Top to bottom: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2004), Oliver Twist (2005), Inglorious Basterds (2009)

Cashmere turtleneck
Etro
Scarf
Isabel Marant
Ring
Kelly Wearstler
Runwell 41mm Watch
Shinola
Glasses
Masunaga
‘Fedora’ bag
Chloé
Coat
Harris Wharf London

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What can I say, ‘Please sir, can I have some more’ is my catchphrase and battle cry in any life situation. Most heavily used, of course, when involving cheese fries or Tom Hiddleston videos on Youtube. I’ve always wanted to shoot a story inspired by some of the best-known underdogs of literature and cinema, namely Oliver Twist and Shoshanna Dreyfuss of Inglorious Basterds, not only for their ballsy personalities but the costumes – granted, Shoshanna is only complete with actress Melanie Laurent’s gait and pout. The 1840’s fashion is as rigid as uniform-ridden 1940’s, but the characters wear simplified, improvised versions of trends of the respective eras: layered jackets instead of a Victorian 3-piece suit, or a worker’s shirt with woollen culottes instead of a button-down dress. Alas, here’s my interpretation, with current-season pieces from Farfetch and an ever-so-slightly more ballsy attitude to go with it.
Chelsea boots
Alberto Fasciano
‘Andre’ hat
Maison Michel
Cropped trousers
Y’s
Braces
KTZ

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Watch – Shinola. Wool shirt – Citizens of Humanity. Shirt – ASOS.

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Blazer & Shirt – Charlie May. Skirt – Rochas. Trousers – Filippa K. Shoes – Dear Frances. Shoes – Chloe ‘Fedora’

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ABOVE: Wool shirt – Citizens of Humanity. Trousers – Etro.
LEFT: Coat – Harris Wharf London. Turtleneck – Etro. Trousers – Rodebjer. Bag – Chloé

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art direction SHINI PARK photography & styling TEAM PARK & CUBE created with support from THE SOFA & CHAIR COMPANY
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Draw me like one of your French girls
Meet Rose. Not named after colour but the fact that it pulls the user gradually down into a posture not unlike the ‘Draw me like one of your French girls’ scene in Titanic. You know this posture very well, one that epitomises comfort and general sexy vibes, yeah that one. And also the fact that technically it’s a two-seater but there sure ain’t any space for Jack on this surface once the Mindy Project goes on. (Sorry Leo) Arms splayed, one foot thrown over the backrest and the other somewhere in a Dorito’s bag – this how I like my 5-minute breaks.

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Blazer & Skirt – Filippa K. Trousers – Filippa K. Gold cap Heels – YSL. Clutch – Whistles (similar).

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Bracelet – Meriko London. Skirt – ASOS. Off-the-shoulder top – Topshop.

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…see the world one more time with rose-tinted shades.

Rose is a great gal, soft but of solid build, great legs too. One afternoon in May I had spent an embarrassing amount of time at the Sofa & Chair Company, doing laps around the showrooms and then poring over fabric books as thick as my forearm. They are known to specialise in bespoke, luxury furniture, and I was in the market for a sofa. If you follow on Pinterest you’ll have noticed this little corner of my brain that still hasn’t reached puberty, clearly one that saw an opportunity and yelled ‘PINK, Let’s just do pink’ after hours of umming and ahhing and many a frazzled nerves of those waiting for me to decide. Six weeks later I met Rose, and I was enamoured by the result. (It could’ve been worse, I have a secret Austin Powers board) The blush fabric (Fabric: KOBE – Samba 38) was pulled over the supple foam-wrapped feather cushioning of the Renoir, and the light bounced cheekily off the dimples created by pulled buttons covered also, in linen blush-pink fabric. A cloud-grey piping (KOBE – 8) swept the edges and married perfectly with the marble coffee table. I was in love.

Ignore my brash Dorito-infused lifestyle for a moment, I’m marking this sofa an icon of awesome spontaneity, and small a reminder to see the world one more time with rose-tinted shades before this sarcasm becomes my identity and it’s too late.

Stay tuned for Part 2: The (gruelling) customization process and a tour of the Sofa & Chair Company factory (specifically, a room filled floor-to-ceiling with pastel-coloured foam, or also known as CAN I HAS DIS).

Shoes – Senso. Coat – Filippa K

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Jumpsuit – Dagmar.

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Coat – Boden. Sweater – Eileen Fisher. Necklace – Louis Vuitton. Bag – Coach. Trousers – Filippa K

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Passport holder – Louis Vuitton. Bag – Coach. Heels – Kurt Geiger.

And just like that, the fashion month circuit is closed. The lions are cajoled back into their cages and the tents packed down into wagons; one by one, the throng dissipate into a Euro tunnel or Charles de Gaulle terminal after another, and all that’s left of the festival is a dusty, patchy field and a village-worth of Airbnb’s that need a-cleaning. The days are a touch cooler, and shorter, than when it all started. I had joined the last leg in Paris on the final three days for the two shows that I always catch, and finished the season adequately rested, sufficiently surprised and inspiration fully fueled. I can’t wait to start sharing everything I’ve worked on soon with you all. For now, the Boden coat in siren-red (a bit of Benjamin Button with the content, as usual), on my way home from Paris… attracting all manners of attention including three separate accounts of ‘you want taxi?’ men, two ‘petition for the deaf’ scammers who seemed incredibly not-deaf, and of course, the good old-fashioned drunk men demanding beer (or wine?) change.

Note to self, do not dress like gullible tourist lady with Robin Hood disposition to Gare du Nord.

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Is this how you summer?

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Tropical shirtdress – Gap. Coat – Vintage Valentino via Nordic Poetry

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Suede coat – Vintage Valentino. Dress – Gap. Necklace – Effra London. Straw Bag – H&M Home.

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Sleeveless – Gap. Shorts – Next. Shoes – Calpas via Etsy. Bag – Ralph Lauren.

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Hat – Hoss Intropia. Top – Glamorous. Shorts – Gap. Sliders – Filippa K. Watch – Larsson & Jennings. Necklace – Effra London. Sunnies – Jonathan Saunders

As an inherent cave-bat nerd that insists on applying at least 20 SPF against monitor glare because she doesn’t know how the outside works (and she is “Asian”), summer has never been a topic of particular interest, or a season of preference. Sure, my birthday may be in July and I surprisingly own a picnic blanket, but this is all by chance – I reckon if I had a choice, I’d want a 29th of February birthday just so I can forever regale in the fact that it will always be an amusing/sad thing to tweet about three years out of every four. This is not dissimilar to making meal choices based on how photogenic it is for Instagram, and unwittingly eliminating anything brown or poop-looking (i.e bread/chocolate) from the diet. Hey wait, internet is gluten-free? I live in the corner of 5AM-guilty-dog-videos and Incognito-window-shopping, and have the hots for Conan O’Brien. One day I would like to compose a blog post consisting only of emoji’s. These are my dreams, someone else can be girl president.

Lately however, I’ve been growing a little jaded by this glowing rectangle that supposedly contain my livelihood and all the stress that come with it, so I’ve been turning it off more often and sticking my hand out the window to see if it smokes. And since I’m a bit of a no0b at all this, I’ve been testing out all the textbook summer activities, like taking the laundry basket to the food market, canal-side lunches and picnics in the garden (unknowingly next to some dead baby foxes, as you may have heard in my Snapchat: SparknCube). And of course, wearing easy basics from Gap because while fur-lined Birks are, apparently salsa-stained PJs apparently are NOT yet in trend at the moment. Hey, I’m still learning about all of this, OK?

This is a round-up of Gap x Conde Nast Traveler summer looks I contributed for Styld.by. Photo assistance by Simon Schmidt.