life with Lei.

forgive me for not making it back home to have one last drink with you. please know that you alone made a difference in this lifetime. a positive energy that will never be forgotten. you resonate the same bright light as the colour you love so much. and i thank you for your presence in my life. i miss you so much. my heart is broken. 

rest in peace my crazy-Lou...

head over feet.

"…you treat me like i’m a princess, i’m not used to liking that

you are the bearer of unconditional things
you held your breath and the door for me, thanks for your patience
you’re the best listener that i’ve ever met
you’re my best friend, best friend with benefits…

- A. Morissette

just enough to fill the void.

love. i was afraid my perception of the noun had been tainted from the past, but in reality i’m surrounded by it. therefore how could one not be a believer or a witness to it, right?

submission and possession, i confuse the two for love. but this is how i see it. there’s this boy i know, and it wasn’t until i found out that he had found ‘the one’ that i realised our relationship was in every way an exemplification of the word. after all, this world only reflects what you see and believe in your own mind. i captured these images from the past couple of years knowing it would illustrate a story somewhere down the track. and here it is, the things i want in life. 
...
i know you randomly read these threads when you’re curious of what i’ve been up to. this post is for you. as pessimistic and closed off as you were about love when we first started to get to know each other, i am at peace with where you are in your life. words can’t explain how proud i am of you.

science and progress.

people find it unfortunate that i still haven't found 'the one'. but why?
i find all the qualities i want in a guy in the men i keep in my life. my friend writes:

...i know you still think alot of ----. in my defence you know that i love you to the moon and back, like literally a sister.

i would cut my skin off for you if needed, and because of this i'm not his biggest fan. i feel like this is mostly because if i were a heterosexual male (god forbid, i'd only be half as chic) i would wrap you up in Yamamoto and never let you go, (i realise this statement makes me gayer than ever). your relationship was serious and your dedication to it was incredibly admirable, and is now something i try to emulate in my own stupid relationship. i just want you to be treated by a boy as well as the energy you put out in to the world. deep down i can be a stupid boy and boys are mostly shit.
i hope you can forgive me. Aaliyah.

i love that my friends include my most favourite things in apology notes. morbid gestures, Yohji and babygirl.

this message feels as sincere and humbling as the time a boy shouted out "hey girl in the camo, 

do you have a boyfriend? if you do i hope he treats you well!", after stepping out of a club in my Dickies.

oh the glory days. 

a wizard, a cat and an honorary English man. they're not here at the moment. and i miss them. that is all :)

art, the life we chose.

i began 2012 with my annual trip back to Manila, where i met a couple of strange looking designers dressed in all black. then and there i knew the year would bring me to different corners of the world where i would keep crossing paths with such creative and interesting creatures. this is just a post to toast those who have played a huge part in my life, personally and creatively. i've always been considered the 'weird' one in my social groups, and now i have grown close to a handful of other dreamers i can be weird with! each of you should know who you are and know the impact you have had on me this past year. so this is my thank you for 2012. 

this year more than any year, i have felt the passing of time and social age gaps. so i’ve decided that the new year will welcome a shift in Maiden Threads. enter: ABSENCE OFCOLOUR: curated by Maiden. this new project is basically a continuation of the Friends of Maiden exhibition we held mid this year. where i collated things of interest to share with like minded individuals, enthusiasts, artists, designers and creative’s. it will be much like a visual diary of progression for the rebirth of a more refined label, not just of clothing but a lifestyle. through Maiden i was able to somewhat educate people about their unseen surroundings regarding the industry and art scene, and through AOC i want to showcase a collection of design elements, techniques and concepts that undermines the traditional way of perceiving objects.

i will still run the Maiden Threads blog, as it will just act as a personal blog. but i am looking to push this concept further than i did with Maiden, as i feel it is critical to go back to the roots of design and craftsmanship to broaden the understanding of art itself.

so Maidens, it is completely your decision whether you follow us into our next chapter with [ABSENCE OF COLOUR]. we will hopefully see you in the new year for exciting projects and events!
m a i e :)xx 

since i made it here, i can make it anywhere.

 Starbucks | yellow cab | New York Fuckin City | Brooklyn skyline | 

pigs | blood | Gotye at Radio City Hall.

New York is a thriving city for anybody who wants to be somebody. the bright, flashing lights illuminating the overly crowded streets gave me a keyhole perspective into a stranger’s life. one that i could possibly see myself living. 

NYC has been the more festive leg of the trip, which i had initially had hoped for. avenue after avenue, drink after drink, and one artery clogging meal after another, this stay has been nothing but typical. ‘buffalo’ is the game, and messed up is how you come out of it. 

enjoying our last few hours in the Big Apple at the beautiful NY Public Library after our Starbucks hit. i think my friend is more than ready to head off to the next city. you need a strong backbone to survive living here. mine is still a little wobbly so i will need to toughen up on my return.

next stop San Francisco...

when in Paris.

four days and four nights in Paris was enough time for me to get the Parisian experience and feel for the city. got to smile back at Mona Lisa at the Louvre, checked out the Louis Vuitton/Marc Jacobs exhibition, passed by Les Docks to see White Drama by Comme des Garçons and the Cristobal Balenciaga showing, and wandered thru the Musée D’orsay to view some Monét. Surprisingly, i did not get to experience much fashion inspiration from Paris. but the city itself, with its French architecture and famous monuments were beautiful and breath taking. we finally found the arty strip around St Germain on our last day. met a local artist whom i of course purchased a couple of artworks from. and that was that. Paris in 4 days. ready to head back to London…

12/09/12

a blissful and painful insanity.

a boy once told me that he was opposed to love because nothing lasts forever. although i see this as a poor excuse, it is one that is valid. this post is an ode to the ones that have proven him right.
"And I think it was really ironic because, like, everybody else just thought i had everything in the world, you know, I had no reason to be depressed, everything was sort of at its peak, but inside I was completely lost... - Winona Ryder

so now i am owed this...

…one self indulgent tirade.

the countdown to another anticipated event of my year has well and truly begun. i don’t know what i’m most excited about. the craziness of the Japanese, the pristine style of London, the French men, or the lifestyle of the Yanks.

this trip was not designed for soul searching, but more for me to broaden my  spectrum and take advantage of this new outlook on life that has been introduced to me. i know a lot of people will be worried about my well being when i step out into the big bad world, and i love them for it. but i will be ok. i may be naïve, but i am more curious than anything. i will be doing all the things i loved doing here, but instead, out there where i am unrestricted and unknown to the world. with no pre-conceived opinions and expectations. i cannot promise that i will mingle with the locals, but i have every intent of capturing stills of the streets in every city i step into, drawing each line to perfection, scribbling thoughts that may or may not be written under the influence, and last but not least styling the shit out of each outfit i wear out! after all, i am only heading out to the fashion capitals of the world! i will absorb each culture and let the creative juices seep through my imperfect skin. where i will then regurgitate all that and plate it up for you in a form of a book and a new collection.

now on another note, which still has some relevance to this post. i have somewhat become an example of a ‘break up warhorse’ not sure why but it happened to be that way. i bring this up now because i am watching a sibling go through the stages. all i can say on this matter is, i don’t need anymore awesome ‘friendships’ with guys. i already have a great collection of friends. #fuckyourinsecurities

wise men say...

they say the weird and crazy come out on Friday the 13th. i did the craziest thing that night. without having this sound like a page out of my grade 8 diary, i told him. him being the beautiful person that allowed me to see the world in a different light, and him who i find myself being in a weird relation with. it's a bittersweet feeling i now have knowing where we both stand with each other. this passage from one of his favourite animations describes us perfectly.

now he knows. and now i won't die wondering. 

love: redefined.

this word is not always spelt in black and white but i think i've made sense of it.

after receiving these text messages yesterday, a notion of what could have only been triggered by the awakening from Thursday's opening, i base my definition on this.

i'm often questioned about this subject as my friends do not quite understand my reasoning. i absolutely adore these two guys in my life. i am in love with every part of their being, and not in the way that i want to tie any knots with them. nor is it just the brotherly love you feel for your siblings. it's much more than either of that put together. i get this surreal feeling of happiness everytime i see or talk to them, and that to me is bliss right now.

...it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

aishite imasu.

that means "i love you" in Japanese. my google sources tell me that it is very rare
that Japanese people use this expression. why that is, i will have to find out.

i got overly excited when i saw this pair during my walk through Ikea today. the guy rocking the black hoodie and elasticated balloon hem shorts had the most beautiful waved beach hair i had ever seen on a dude. you're used to seeing the well dressed couples out in coordinated outfits, but instead these two had matching blonde patches in their long weaves. Japanese people have an effortless cool style about them. i cannot wait to touch down in Tokyo later in the year! in the meantime, i've got to grow some balls so i can walk up to these kind of people and ask if i can take their photo. hopefully when this does happen, i will be able to provide you with better visuals...

sunny side up.

yesterday i styled and shot my first pre-wed shoot. today i finished a blue velvet jumpsuit for the exhibition.
and tomorrow, we're just going to have to wait and see...

i'm part of you indefinitely.

sometimes you can just tell when lovers started out as best friends. this actually made me smile
  and filled my heart with gooey stuff. it maybe that i have been listening to Mariah Carey's
 "Always Be My Baby" on repeat. but nevertheless, it's always a good feeling. 

stay right here. i'll be back in a bit...

not quite sure how these long distance relationships work, but everyone seems to be in one at the moment. the feeling of leaving someone behind is a little on the down side, but if you return and the distance didn't change a thing, then that's something to smile about i guess. i miss you Like Crazy.

together.

 Heath + Rachel | via Pages Online.