CUTTING the EDGE:
THE BIG '09 (part 3)
For the last part of the 2009 round-up, CUTTING the EDGE cuts straight to the point as to why GLEE's such a hit, dreams of riding a foldable bike, shares jokes from the year's funniest (and sexiest) woman AND laughs at Sean O'pry's analysis of shouting like a dinosaur.
Wayfarers & the bridgeless noses it has been sitting on: EYEWEAR OF 2009
Face it...nobody really gets over wayfarers. The moment Robert Pattinson stepped out on one of those scenes from Twilight (one amazingly eye-rolling film) wearing wayfarers, tweens, twenteens and momeens all went swooning. I just couldn't stomach naming that the movie moment of the year. You just knew that the 50s original from Ray-Ban never will die. Cary Grant---above, sported one of the first pairs in world (style and movie) history and I say it's his movie moment that all of us should be swooning over. Yeah, even the men. The beauty of the wayfarers is that even people without handsome noses (and that includes me) suddenly look like bigtime celebrities wearing them. Trust me, whenever I wear my wayfarers---they're brandless wayfarers cause I couldn't afford the real ones just yet, it immediately punches up some cool to my otherwise plain style. So to people who tried to steer away from the wayfarers, drop all pretentions and just succumb to them. You know you want them anyway.
photo: Bulldog
SCOTT "The Sartorialist" SCHUMAN: 2009's Most Stylish ManIf you don't know The Sartorialist, then you really haven't been on the internet. From style savvy kids to photography disciples to bookish human beings, the blog that has been sweeping the streets of fashion capitals the world over is one of the most visited pages on the internet. Manned by the coolest photographer ever, Scott Schuman is the genius behind the street-style blog The Sartorialist and the reason why he's this year's most stylish man is because it takes more than dressing the part to be one. For him to be able to see people beyond their clothes and focus more on their ways of self-expression is telling of his vision, taste and most of all, his knowledge of real style. And that is why he is 2009's Most Stylish Man.
GLEE: Series of 2009
Joanne Gotladera on Kurt
"I think GLEE is awesome. I love Kurt---and everybody else in the show, and I think we should all follow him and embrace the truth. Kurt has inspired me greatly, and above all, he has inspired me to come out...
I, am actually a man."
Of course, my sister's joking. I once was a fan of the show. Religiously---with her, I'd follow the series and download their songs. Their revivals of Don't Stop Believing by Journey and Gold Digger of Kanye West and Jamie Foxx were a few among the tons of great songs they've been singing. What's more interesting about the show is that it was produced by the same people behind Nip/Tuck and you immediately see the similarities between the two shows: how the content always has some adult spin on the story and how that adult spin actually makes for an amazing show. There's more to GLEE than cool singing and "L" photos. Sadly, I've grown tired of it. It doesn't make it less of a good series for 2009 though.
Of course, my sister's joking. I once was a fan of the show. Religiously---with her, I'd follow the series and download their songs. Their revivals of Don't Stop Believing by Journey and Gold Digger of Kanye West and Jamie Foxx were a few among the tons of great songs they've been singing. What's more interesting about the show is that it was produced by the same people behind Nip/Tuck and you immediately see the similarities between the two shows: how the content always has some adult spin on the story and how that adult spin actually makes for an amazing show. There's more to GLEE than cool singing and "L" photos. Sadly, I've grown tired of it. It doesn't make it less of a good series for 2009 though.
-Joanne Gotladera is my sister and she will be watching GLEE after American Idol's season something.
photo: Fanpop
IF MODE: RIDE OF 2009
I have always wondered if biking around Metro Manila requires a license...And honestly, I seriously---and secretly, question that in my head. One thing's for sure though, biking around AND in Metro Manila is the closest you could get to sky diving...or better yet, high-wire walking with no training whatsoever with a billion shards of broken glass to catch your clumsy fall. You get what I mean. Maybe Manila isn't the safest place to bike around in, but this modern, ultracool bicycle would be your BEST ride had we all been situated in New York City. Surely, you could get one yourself and bike around safer parts of the metro, but it wouldn't be worth the 50,000 peso ($2, 250) bill you'll be paying for this one. Designed by Ryan Carroll, Michael Lin and Mark Sanders, this bike promises less of the bulk a mountain bike has and more of the easy-chic ride a New Yorker ought to have. It folds, has none of those oily, visible chains AND is just incredibly too cool to ignore. One day, when Manila starts boasting of smarter drivers and less polution, maybe they'd have a better version of this. Hopefully, I'd have enough money (and physical strength) to get me one. By far, the best ride I have EVER seen in 2009.
Check out more cool cool stuff on -----> AREAWARE
THE HANGOVER: Movie of 2009Gus Lacson on the comedy
"I liked The Hangover because it was the best comedy I've seen in a long time...It didn't seem to try so hard. It reminded me of classic comedies like old school ones. Simply hilarious. I never stopped laughing. You need movies like this...ones that don't try so hard.
"I liked The Hangover because it was the best comedy I've seen in a long time...It didn't seem to try so hard. It reminded me of classic comedies like old school ones. Simply hilarious. I never stopped laughing. You need movies like this...ones that don't try so hard.
Not all comedies do a great job like The Hangover."
- Gus Lacson is a good friend who looks like Taylor Lautner, reads GQ and ESQUIRE and opts for the classy local magazine ROGUE to read. He's also stylish...
Quotes from the movie courtesy of IMBD:
Alan Garner: Tigers love pepper...they hate cinnamon.
Mr. Chow: It's funny because he's fat!
Sid Garner: Remember what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Except for herpes. That shit'll come back with you.
Stu Price: She's got my grandmother's Holocaust ring!
Alan Garner: I didn't know they gave out rings at the Holocaust.
CHELSEA HANDLER on Tara Reid"I have more respect for somebody who's like, "Yeah I like to party, screw off," than for Tara (Reid) who talks about not partying and ends up passed out underneath a Subway-not a subway station, but the actual sandwich shop- two days later."
The FACE you WISH you had: Sean O'pry on shouting like a Dinosaur
Taken from Interview Magazine with an interview written by Matthew Edelstein
"Hmmm, I did this shoot recently where they asked me to yell like a dinosaur. I put my arms in really close like a T-Rex. He was like 'That's not a dinosaur.' I was like, 'But his arms are short. He can't reach.' I guess I looked a little bit mentally handicapped doing it, but as you said before it kind of escaped me-that shoot."
from Interview Magazine
from Interview Magazine
2009 wouldn't be 2009 if super duper model Sean O'pry wasn't BIG. Sure there were those well-known faces like Garrett Neff and David Gandy---not to mention Karl Lagerfeld's muse (if that's what you call him) Baptiste, but Sean O'pry really has that unique face. He reminds me of old Hollywood films and how he would perfectly fit in classic movies like James Dean's Rebel Without A Cause. What's really good about O'pry is that he's more than just a handsome face. He's full of personality (based on YouTube) and he's humble and has humor. I still dream of that day when I wake up and my face is of Sean's. I'd freak out at first, but then I'd make sure that I won't spend an entire day inside my room.
It's SOFT & it's HARD...it's Spring 2009
Probably the most confusing season of menswear I have seen, Spring 2009 had it difficult when it came to a defining look. Take your glance at Yves Saint Laurent's old school cool collection that boasts of slouchy coats and soft trousers. Then feel energized checking out Kilgour's modern and sleek (sharp even) collection. Alexander McQueen had the tightest jackets around and the sharpest shoulders while Patrik Ervel had rounder, softer versions. Whichever side of the style field you're playing---played, for, Spring 2009 sure did have you guessing: which kind of tailoring would win? The sharp or the soft? Either way, Spring 2009 still had it good.
photos: GQ
"BASTARDIZATION of a CLASSIC?" or COOL?! You decide: WATCH OF 2009
I could never afford a Rolex. And even if I could in the future I wouldn't get myself one. I believe that it takes a man of a certain stature and age to be able to pull off an authentic, more-expensive-than-your-life Rolex and I never see myself being one of those few men. I fancy a Patek or a Cartier more than a Rolex (and that's also because I know so little about luxury brands of watches). HOWEVER, when these models came out: Rolex Explorer designed by Fragment Design, I had given the brand much consideration and attention. I think they're cool, but readers of the blog Highsnobiety think otherwise...I don't know. Still, I think this collaboration is something so 2009.
I could never afford a Rolex. And even if I could in the future I wouldn't get myself one. I believe that it takes a man of a certain stature and age to be able to pull off an authentic, more-expensive-than-your-life Rolex and I never see myself being one of those few men. I fancy a Patek or a Cartier more than a Rolex (and that's also because I know so little about luxury brands of watches). HOWEVER, when these models came out: Rolex Explorer designed by Fragment Design, I had given the brand much consideration and attention. I think they're cool, but readers of the blog Highsnobiety think otherwise...I don't know. Still, I think this collaboration is something so 2009.
read some of the comments here-------> Highsnobiety
DENIMania
There's been no other season/year that denim took on all sorts of cuts, colors, washes and reinventions. Levi's still remains as the go-to establishment for some investment jeans. Dolce & Gabbana created this year's best looking jean jacket (left). GQ has some dissertation on what differentiates a pair of A.P.C. jeans from an A.P.C. x Supreme pair. Jeans were ripped like we were all kids from the 90s. Jeans were folded to show some hairy ankles like we're all prepsters. Jeans were cut too skinny to rob off the legs from blood circulation. Jeans were just everywhere this year (like Beyonce or Lady GaGa or Justin Beiber or the Blackeyed Peas)... The best advice I've read about jeans is that no matter how schizophrenic fashion gets, you should settle with what works best for your height, body and style.
photo & information: DETAILS
Some of the BEST stores to get your denims from (locally and globally):
TOPMAN for modern cuts and cool washes.
the GAP for reasonably priced, money-worthy pairs.
ACNE for some high-end versions
A.P.C.
Bench for cheap, local-made denim
Folded & Hung for quick purchases (both are originally from the Philippines)
Why Italian GQ's February 2009 issue with Gaspard Ulliel on the cover is 2009's BEST men's magazine cover...And why GQ is probably this close to beating TIME magazine.
......American GQ for me has been the most worthy of my money magazine for 2009. I have learned more than just folding my jeans like they were afterthought. GQ felt like---sappy alert, I had an older, stylish and smart brother. It reads like a person who's gone through a lot without being too emotional and instead, tampering all that with sick, manly humor. There's substance to GQ---like Russian crime stories and sensible intervies of scandalous celebrities, that no other read gives. TIME magazine truly is good and intellectual, but for me there's more to life than knowing about Barack Obama's 275th day in office. GQ on the other hand, covers politics, the world, culture, style, food, health, relationships, technology, art, literature, humor and just all the things you would want to spend money on when it comes to taking home a glossy. GQ is the bible for all kinds of men who value their time and their lives.
......I was clicking through Flickr, Google and GQ.com and I stumbled over this amazing cover. I couldn't believe it that I had never seen this magazine cover before. It's pure magic. The Ray-Ban Clubmasters, the chicly unkempt kept hairstyle, the colors of the fonts and that soft vintage appeal of the photo, the handsome face of French actor Gaspard Ulliel and how his eyes are blank and his lips slightly open...Everything about the cover is truly telling of the year that has been: 2009. I see here exactly what I've been observing about the year. We're all clawing at some past we highly romanticize about. It could be how my grandmother speaks highly of the 50s, or it could be all these nods to the past: how Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson both sound cool and "old" and how most songs are about partying like it was the 80s. I for one have been hooked on old films and James Dean and Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard and soon Marlon Brando. Something about 2009 made it all easy for us to look back on the past. It could've been the recession for Americans or some sick tragedies that we Filipinos have gone through. Whatever it may have been, the world---for me, is chicly summarized by this cool, vintage-like cover: we're all gaping blankly at some time we wish we could go back to. Or at least experience.
photo: Flickr
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