A Pocketful of Stars

Moi

All the pics I stole from facebook.

Some profile info about me:

Favorite books: The Tipping Point, Outliers, The Last Lecture, the Bible =)
School: UC Berkeley (Go Bears!)
Birthday: May
Favorite TV Series: LOST, Heroes
Favorite Singer: Mariah Carey, Michael "Bubble", Mraz
Favorite City: Prague & Hong Kong

My Little Brother ^-^. Do we look alike?

He needs a haircut.
Age: 19
Freshman at UCSD
Height: 6"
Single. Girls? Anyone? Just KIDDING.

Designer Plus+

Recent partnerships. Brands are combining the best of two worlds. New trend?

Some Insights..

2007 Magazine covers: flashy & glittery

Jan - March 2008: Bright, Flashy

Jan - Feb 2009

In 2009,

Colors are simple and toned down. Is this a response to the economic recession? Well into the Depression back then, bright colors were replaced by more toned down shades. As the decade came to a close, magazines, clothing, etc began to feature colors in deep saturated tones. In the 1940's, World War II brought soil-hiding khaki and olive green. However, brighter colors started to return after the war years though the political and social influences of the time kept colors relatively restrained. 1950's brought pretty pastel colors, and led the way with striking colors such as flamingo pink and turquoise as an optimistic expression for America's continuing prosperity, fashion, design, etc. As the economy grew stronger, colors grew more intense as well. We're definately much more toned down this year, and every brand is going for simple.

Take a look at Best Buy's new logo.

Flashiness is out. Even best buy is going for a more mature, serious look & feel in response to the economy.

Doodling a vehicle for expressing originality?

Doodling allows teens to make something their own. It adds whimsy and flair to their photos, scrapbooks, and web pages by incorporating swirls to bring not only interest but excitement to their pages.

If you look at some of these artworks closely, the art incorporates different colors and hundreds and thousands of images all linked together in a pattern. In a way, it’s symbolic of their life being connected to many things all at once- one element inspiring another or springing out from another. Doodling is a creative expression that have stymied by the combination of social pressure, boredom, and all the other factors that are influencing their everyday life. In a way, it can be seen as an outlet of frustration turned into art. It’s a representation of who they are.

Energy Through Circles

The circle in many cultures represent energy or the circle of life. In Native American culture, energy stones for healing are in the shape of a circle, known to absorb and retransmit all energies. In Chinese culture, the Ying Yang symbol for energy is also in the shape of a circle. Perhaps, natural waves to display energy are obsolete; circles are the new "in"? What do you guys think?

Real Beauty: Returning to what seems real

These images that I've collected remind me of the The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty in 2005.
Remember Dove's average girl turned supermodel commercial and all their real beauty ads using plus size models instead of stick-thin airbrushed models? The campaign was a smashing success. It seems like this year, (from Brad Pitt refusing to be airbrushed on the cover of W to real gypsies in Vivianne Westwood's fashion) that same premise of real beauty is blossoming into a trend. Look at the picture on the top of this page. Even the bread crumbs are less than perfect. =)

Ok. Call me lame, but this is what you call real beauty in my dictionary. LOL My friendship with Duong. We were best friends since Elementary school.