Chinese artist, Liu Bolin paints himself to blend in with his surroundings and almost become entirely invisible. Can you spot him?
Better Late Than Never: Looking back at NAR’s Honorable Mentions
After the Storm by Si-Yuan Kong
November – Dragons in the Sky by Jordan Knopp
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Reflections from the Mirror of Fashion
by Colleen Humfreville
Fashion is an ever-changing industry, constantly fluctuating between one style and another, all in the hopes of creating the ‘next best thing’. What exactly does it mean to be fashionable though? Is it mandatory to buy only the most current trends in order to fit in?
Let’s change the scene though, away from the fashion moguls, the overpriced vintage stores, and the ‘chic’ boutiques that are only located in the ritziest of areas.
Kimmie Lucas, a third-year transfer student, looks like one of those girls that grace the pages of Anthropologie. Wearing brown boat shoes, a green cardigan over a sunflower-colored top with delicate lace overlaying the neckline, and a khaki green skirt cinched in at the waist, she gives a modern twist to the vintage styles of the past.
Inspired by movies and fashion blogs, she first became interested in fashion as a teenager. In fact, in high school, she would often dress up with a group of her friends on a given day of the week. She was able to simultaneously fit in and stand out from the general population of her school. “It’s a way of expressing who you are, while being with people who feel the same way,” she says.
Better Late Than Never: Bringing the Past Back to Life cont.
This piece is a continuation of a literary journalism excerpt from the winter quarter edition of NAR. Without further ado…
Bringing the Past Back to Life one Outfit at a Time
by Colleen Humfreville
While meeting with my T.A. for my history class, we start talking about upcoming projects, and I mention that I need to find something interesting to write about for my journalism project. “My wife, Gillian, owns a vintage store,” says Dave. “It’s really rad.”
After a few emails back and forth, Gillian and I agree to meet at her store on a Wednesday afternoon. After finding my way there with the help of my GPS, I walk down a street typical of downtown Long Beach: tiny shops, eerie liquor marts, and stores where only hookers would dare venture. However, on the corner of 4th and Cherry, there is a boutique that stands out. The store, larger than all the rest on the street, has bright blue doors that draw your attention immediately, with pink lettering above the entrance saying “Scuda”. The display windows contain billowy blouses paired with aqua polyester skirts, “hipster” sunglasses, and silver stilettos with heels at least two inches tall.
When you enter the store, it is clearly more interesting than its plain exterior. The walls are painted a bright red, with the molding and corners of the wall painted a jet black. The colors seem like they would be too contrasting, but in the store it seems oddly appropriate. The clothes are arranged by type: jackets on one rack; hats, purses, and belts against the wall; and dresses on another rack. Overall, I feel a bit overwhelmed. The store is quite spacious, but there are so many vintage items and clothes in the store that I don’t know where to start. There are clothes of every color. The first thing I notice is a high-collared red dress with black sleeves that are gathered at the end; it makes the sleeves quite poufy. It has an Asian-inspired design on the sleeves. The dress as a whole reminds me of something that came straight from the Orient. In reality, though, it used to be a moo-moo (which is essentially a potato sack). After Gillian bought it, she put an elastic waistband in the dress and made the sleeves shorter to make it more appropriate and fitting for modern fashion trends. “All you have to do is pair it with tights and the dress becomes a Long Beach staple,” says Gillian fashion-mindedly.
According to Gillian, vintage fashion can be either a personal passion or a reference point for future trends. Whether we are dressed for the workplace, or a specific subculture, how we adorn ourselves says a great deal about who we are and how we view ourselves in relation to the rest of society. So what statement does Gillian (properly pronounced “Jillian”) Fouser make through the clothes she designs?
Gillian is 5’5”, twenty-nine years old, has dark auburn hair about shoulder-length, and side-swept bangs that frame her slightly oval face. When I look at her, I’m reminded of that old standard “When Irish Eyes are Smiling.” Her pale blue eyes and pale skin are such a contrast to her dark hair. When she had a pixie cut and had died-black hair, people said she looked like Liza Minnelli. “Is it because of my nose?,” she asks jokingly. [Read more…]
NAR Spring Meeting
CHP’s creative works journal is having its quarterly meeting this Tuesday (4/5) at 4:30pm in the Locus. We’ll be discussing our plans for the upcoming quarter and we’d love to hear your ideas! Anyone is free to come and provide input on what they’d like to see for NAR this spring, and the meeting will last about half an hour. See you there!
Ernest Hemingway on Yelp
Ernest Hemingway, Yelper
By Alex Buckey
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Sun City Asian Bistro and Café
Category: Asian
TWO STARS
I called Sam and asked him if he wanted to come to dinner but he said he had softball practice and I said that was a damned shame and hung up. When I got to Sun City Bea and Rob were at were at the bar, behind tattooed women and men with guitars. They were sitting in the shade and their beers were half empty. We drank beer and ate pho but Rob was restless and did not talk very much. He said he wanted to go see a band that was playing in a dive bar across town. Bea called him a smug hipster and Rob called her a bitch and I sat and drank my beer and wished I had not come. They left early and I paid for Bea’s spring rolls and went home alone.
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Infusion Tea and Coffee House
Category: Coffee & Tea
THREE STARS
I got up late and the sun was already high and I had been drunk the night before. The barista brought me a cup of coffee and asked if I wanted anything else and when I said no she left. The coffee was good and very hot. I sat at the table for a while. When I was done the barista came and cleared my mug and went back behind the counter. I ordered a muffin to go and walked out into the street. By that time it was two in the afternoon and my headache was not as strong as it had been.
– – –
Teller’s Furniture and Antiques
Category: Furniture Stores
THREE STARS
I had moved to a new place and the leg of my chair had broken and I needed a new one. I went to the store and there was a man there who had been working at Teller’s a long time. His hair was grey and he had three rings on each hand. He showed me a wooden chair and said that he liked it and thought I would too. I did like it and after I bought it a mover came in an old truck to deliver it. The mover smoked a cigarette inside my foyer and told me I was lucky to have such a good chair to sit in. I told him not to scuff the floors on the way in.
– – – [Read more…]
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