friends of maiden: Francisco Vernal.

 "Drawing is the only logical path for myself.

From when I scribbled it as a boy, till now and will continue to be.

This is a preview of what is to come from my minds eye."

out of all the artists in this show, Francisco would be the first one i crossed paths with (back in '97). but the thing is, i wasn't really aware of his talent until we re-met over a decade down the track. i have no idea what his piece for the exhibition looks like, so i'm crazy excited to finally see it in exactly a month's time. and it just so happens that it's my dear amigo's birthday today :) i adore this creature very much, for his energy, good company and positive guidance. he's like a wizard, a hippie, a nomad, and a giraffe all rolled into one. happy birthday my Chihiro!

where you want to be.

i want to make things look awesome, for the rest of my life. that is all :)

the summoning.

look what i have in the palm of my hands. freshly delivered. keep an eye out for the Friends of Maiden invite in an awesome hub near you, find us in and around town! or tag along on the official FB invite here.

friends of maiden: OS Accessories.

OS, a street accessory brand by multidisciplinary creatives AJ Omandac and Paul Jatayna in Manila, Philippines, revolves around the versatility of polyurethane bone reproduction as accessories. Raw and edgy, OS produces painstakingly handcrafted necklaces, bracelets, harnesses, and caps that are completely wearable -- giving your personal style some teeth.

not quite sure how i came across this label, but i'm crazy grateful that i did. not only do i own some bone pieces in my family of suicide wristwear, but i got the chance to meet and dine with the kids behind the wicked label back in February on my visit to the homeland.

what was meant to be a quick trade turned into an unexpectedly fun night over sushi and endless conversation! naturally, i cliqued with these two guys straight away. i honestly, for the first time in my life felt like i belonged and didn't feel self conscious. we all got to know each other pretty well in a course of a few hours. they've only been at it for a year or so, and they're already spreading their osseous matter crazily over in Japan! i adore these two for their humbleness, off-centred nature, their love of black and daringness to dream big! here's how they came about...

insert title here | OS designer (& founder)    

age | 22, 26

how did the both of you come together to create OS?

[AJ & Paul]: A trip to Baguio. We were walking along Session Road when we saw a snake spine - real one. We tried to wear it & wrap it around a regular Topman metal chain necklace & surprisingly it looked so good.

what were your inspirations behind this bone collection?

[AJ & Paul]: Initially we wanted to combine metal & bones. Now we want to experiment with combining bones with leather, or acid, or whatever that looks good with it.

what have been your biggest achievements to date?

[Paul]: I finally created my own fashion brand!

[AJ]: Creating something that moves (sells!) haha. A brand that we (I) totally believe in and could represent Philippine creativity.

describe your "style".[Paul]: I get inspired with anything 90's. I love the music, the fashion, the culture...[AJ]: I don't think I have a personal fashion style. Maybe in design or art I like natural, organic & something macabre.

were you outcasts in school?

[Paul]: Very much but I always hung out with other "outcasts" so I don't feel alone.

[AJ]: Yes! I was the fattest kid in school haha! And back then I was in the closet, so that probably outcasted me more.

FASHION is...[Paul]: more fun now because kids like me are into trying to create something new.[AJ]: a lifestyle, not just clothes & fashion accessories.

plug your label here:                                www.os-accessories.com

because we're all afraid of heights.

...you say good things come to those who wait
well i've been waiting a long time for it

i remember the days when i was so eager to satisfy you
and be less than i was just to prove that i could walk beside you

now that i've flown away i see you've chosen to stay behind me

and still you curse the day i decided to stay true to myself

you say your quest is to bring it higher
well i never seen change without a fire...

i have always been captivated by this song. i remember the exact feeling it gave me back in 2001. she's back you know!

fall face first.

 if this is anything to go by, this exhibition will be nothing less than unconventional.
get excited, something wicked is coming around the bend.

at twenty-seven.

there seems to be alot more pressure and expectations come this age. and naturally with that, opinions and questioning about where your life is going. i'll tell you where it's going, far from where you or i ever thought it would go... at 27, i'm not living to work. i now don't mind the sun. i live in and out of backpacks most weekends. i've found little creative creatures to share my passion with. i'm out of my comfort zone. and more importantly, i know what i want and know what i don't need.
there's a growing trend of people living by catch phrases, every second status update is a cut and paste of a line once quoted by so and so. i, myself like to quote clever song lyrics every now and then. but perhaps instead of living day by day on hopes from a couple of sentences, you should go out and do something about whatever it is you're itching for. being surrounded by inspirational words is useless if you're not actually following through with it. because then, they're just words.
so here's what i'm going to do by the end of the year. display my art out there for all to see. inspire as much raw talents i can find through this blog. stamp the world. and compile life into one little book. and if this isn't enough for you, well take a look at where your life is going. i bet my baguette is looking real good to you right now.

stalking made easy.

 the effortless styles of the inner west.

at:// Corner Cafe | Canada Bay | Rozelle Markets | Darling Street.

shopping Sergio.

just strolling out to do some shopping. styled to perfection.
silver cuffs and neckpiece with all that drape. class.

all that glitters is gold.

sequin robe paired with the most amazing diamontie detailed cut-out boots.

which you sadly cannot see in this picture. apologies.

colour blockage.

a guy not afraid of colour is a-okay with me. 

he was eyeing out some Dion Lee, good choice.