555 takes its DIY attitude from the people that do it best--Thai people!
So 555 would like to give a BIG UP and a WOOT WOOT to a couple of Thailand's best indie designers.
To start it all off is Hey Pilgrim! Clothing, a screenprinted t-shirt design initiative of sisters Am and Aui.
They follow a fair-trade ethos with no nonsense t-shirt design. .
Trippy geometric black and white
Wolfie don't play that
Bunny love.
In Canada, Hey Pilgrim! is distributed by Some Product Apparel. Most of their sales are in Europe though, primarily Spain,France,UK,Canada,Singapore, and Ireland.
Their shop in Bangkok's Chatuchuck Weekend Market is always hoppin', stop by if you're in town!
c.a style or movement characterized by theadoption of aggressively unconventional and oftenbizarre or shocking clothing, hairstyles, makeup, etc., and the defiance of social norms of behavior, usually associated with punk rock musicians and fans.
pertaining to, characteristic of, or adopting punk styles:punk youths; punk hairstyles in various colors.
I couldn’t help but share this fav item of mine, the story behind the item Ramones tee!!! Punk rock princess never die!! No matter where on our globe.
On this day, I was living in a lovely mountain top home in Kenya. Working and living with even more awesome people at the kccslums, helping the forgotten.
With my mind far from fashion that rocks hot, I was on my way to do up some washing when John (slum kid represent!!!) was coming in from doing the same, wearing this ripped-up punked-out Ramones tee--arms cut up and all. I gave him a super big smile, stop dead in my tracks, and he's looking at me like, what?
Of course he has never heard of the Ramones...you gotta understanding how poetically beautiful this moment is.
John's story is more than incredible: taken in about a year ago by my good friend Marcus ( frontrunner of the KCCSlum project he rocks) John is 14 years old, from the Kenyian slums, homeless since he was 4 years old. This kid John is more punk rock rebel in his own right than he’ll ever know!
We traded 2 of my boys pre-packaged kind of t-shirts for his punked up tee. Of course John seemed a little more than confused with the exchange! Each of us was quite happy with the deal though.
If clothes could talk and tell their story I wish this Ramones tee could .
YOU ROCK JOHN !!!!!! a true punk rocker freedom fighter.
“Go into the streets, into the slums, into the fashionable quarters. Go into the day courts and the night courts. Become acquainted with sorrow, with many kinds of sorrow. Learn of the wonderful heroism of the poor, of the incredible generosity of the very poor—a generosity of which the rich and the well-to-do have, for the most part, not the faintest conception. Go into the modest homes, into the out-of-the-way corners, into the open country. Go where you can find something fresh to bring back to the stage.” Minne Maddern Fiske (1865-1932)
“At its best New Wave/punk represents a fundamental and age-old Utopian dream: that if you give people the license to be as outrageous as they want in absolutely any fashion they can dream up, they'll be creative about it, and do something good besides.“ Lester Banges
If you have a heart that cares and shares, check it out!
What a great time of year for us snow bunnies to finally dress with out layers.
New trends for 2011 are definitely 70s inspired looks. High wasted pants, floral prints and hour glass shapes welcome back the woman figure. No more confusion! Is that a boy or girl?
Cute! This pic to the left reminds me of the Cindy Crowford Pepsi add from the 90s. With the tore up feel of the jean shorts and the cute but sexy top paired with an open toe current sandal makes me want to go to the beach!
Love this white over-sized tunic.
I can picture it with a hot pink or mint green tight tank top or bra cover to give it an extra “oh yeah I look hot today”.
Throw on your sailor pants, add a cute open kitten toe heel and your ready to go!
Yup! the jumper is back. Expect to see it in short combos and pant combos.
Just think how easy it will be to get dressed in the morning!! Can’t wait.
I would add a bright purple belt to accentuate the waste, and a tighter cardigan... just saying!
Hair Trends!
Finally getting back to classic 1930s vibes. My Favorite! Despite their hard times, those ladies truly had amazing hair and fashion. Look for the more natural feel. Big soft curls, messy buns, straight with a wind blown look and more!
I can’t wait to bust out some big Chunes this spring / summer!!!
Everybody knows fashion is cyclical. It goes round and round and round, picking up slight silhouette changes as it goes. It was only a matter of time before our childhood fashion crimes came back to haunt us. But this time around, we are older, wiser and more confident!
This spring I'm going to embrace my love of Jem and her besties, the Holograms. Tight hot pink dress paired with pastel tights? Fuck ya! You better believe I'm going to be wearing a silver tassel belt too!
Okay wait, maybe not so much... But I'll definitly steal some hot elements from these classy broads.
It's all about neon, animal prints in non traditional colours, high boots and coloured tights.
I know we've always been told one print is enough, but that just isn't so!
Mix it up, get crazy and wear multiple prints in one outfit..It's going to be hard to break your preconceived notions, but I promise it's going to be a good time. Try to ease into it with stripes and polkadots in one look. Next time get super sassy and throw something floral into the mix.
Jem has so many bffs that there's a girl out there for everyone.. Emulate her style this spring, and I guarantee the party is never gunna stop.
I can't even begin to tell you how badly I want this bow dress!!
Oh Jem, yer so Truly Truly Truly amazing ! (okay that was cheeese)
Let's not kid, we all love to watch the Oscars and talk about what the women are wearing.
We love to see whats new, and imagine wearing it, walking down the red carpet. Or totally bash it....
So my pick for Best Dressed has to go to Cate Blanchett
How charming! Not only is the colour great, but the vintage feel you get with the apron type outline feel makes this dress beautiful.
A babe in anything she wears.
Worst has to go to Jennifer Lawrence, what the hell was she thinking?
Hot pink 80’s art deco shoulders, with a black velvet bow and too much length puts you at the top of my list dear Jenny! Don’t get me wrong the colour is great on her, but would have been a better choice to eliminate those straps and extra material would make it a winner.
(p.s what the hell was that lady in the back thinking? Looks like she is wearing leather sandals and stole her shitty dress from her kid's 8th grade grad).
Okay, Ive lost total hope! “Cigarettes here! get your cigarettes here!”.Chokers went out with doing heroin to be cool in the mid 90s lady, did you not get the memo?
Globalized economy. WTO. Free Trade Agreements. This is our world system.
Maybe 50 years ago, your clothes would have been manufactured in your country, but now, more often than not, all aspects of your daily babe-piece have come from all reaches of our tiny globe.
Ok, this is a reality. But lost in the web of transnational corps and world trade bodies are the real people.
Who made your clothes?
You probably have absolutely no idea. And sad but true, the country with the poorest human rights protection wins the manufacturing contract. Don't think conditions akin to slave labour are a thing of the past!
So 555, wtf are you gonna do about it?
Introducing (drum roll pls!)...... Pi Tan!! Real Seamstress Extraordinare!
Quiet, with an at-times biting sense of humour, Pi Tan supports her family with her small seamstress business.
She's now an expert on fit for foreigners (we have ass n' titties!) but still likes to point at my crotch and ask me if I'm sure it's not going to fall out of my really short shorts (!)
So who made your clothes?
PI TAN!!!
555 is big on real people and small exclusive runs for you!
Wear those girls high even though some may criticize.
I cannot count the number of comments I have received over the high-waisted jeans I wear. Girls, I say, bodies are hot. Why not show them off? What are these big mouthed haters of the high waisted jeans afraid of?
There is nothing more hot and fashionable than breaking it up and there is nothing more rock'n roll than not givin' a shit.
Yeah babies bringing it back!! 70s high-waisted pants are one of the many reasons I love the 70s (and early 80s). 'Cus women looked like women in the media and fashion, and curves was what was hot.
Let us not forget girls Joan jet says it best. Plus she knows how to rock the high-waisted jeans.
This musical seed was first planted very very late on New Year's Eve--rather more like very very early in the morning of New Year's Day (2011)--when555's Ra Ra played a wild impromptu gig with the always resplendently dressed Los Saicos in a delightfully seedy artist-run studio. They met over guitar amp, drum kit, and microphone, and it was magical. Seeing as Ra Ra promptly abandoned the snowy streets of Toronto for the sensuous heat of Thailand, Los Saicos turned to me (Margot, otherwise Monosodium Glutamate) for some guitarly gratification.
After one jam session, Los (henceforth known as Diatribe Tuberculosis) announced that we promptly need an official band name because he booked us a show. With two other bands. Uptown. In a Frozen Yogurt shop.
Thus, Destroylet was conceived. With two other members in tow--dubbed Menacing Maple Syrup and Enlightened Child--we cruised on in to this brightly lit, family friendly establishment (which had been expecting an acoustic folk night) with stacks of amps and electric guitars aplenty, getting ready to play songs that were, let's just say, unfit for the sensitive ears of the gaggle of children waiting patiently with their yogurt while we set up.
Destroylet did not hesitate to make an impact on the eyes, either. After a quick wardrobe change, Diatribe trooped out in my Gucci-esque zippered leather tights, a tassled tie-dye shirt, and the most amazing pentagram pendant that would have sent any goth rocker into transports of sinister delight. Enlightened Child sported the sweetest high-waisted polkadot shorts with a simple white tee (good thinking!), and that sheet black hoisery was the (yogurt) icing on the cake. I chose to go all out for this one with my 50s cherry dress, complete with tulle underskirt and all, but toned it down all modern-like with my mean shoulder-padded leather jacket. Taking it all the way to the next level was Menacing Maple Syrup, who came out in his favourite Beefheart t-shirt and reggae towel. Yep, a reggae towel.
Left to Right: Enlightened Child, Margot, Diatribe, MMS
555is not really sure how Destroylet will top this, but cannot wait to find out.
Living in a foreign (non-english speaking,'developing') country ain't a piece of cake.
So when tasked with sourcing fabric for 555's Spring launch, I was up for a challenge.
The night before though, I had broken up with my ultra-shitty Thai boyfriend for the 50th time--screaming over balconies, cryin' in the street, whole bit.
I woke up, hungover. Draggin a heavy heart. Dreading the small crowded alley-ways of Bangkok's Sam Peng fabric market--a seething mass in 40 degree weather.
Today was the only day I was going to be in Bangkok, so it was pass or fail, win or die trying.
oh god! which buttons????
I got to the market by 10 am. Where to start? My bangs have already plastered to my forehead with sweat and every time someone brushes against me, I wanna punch faces.
Get your shit together, Ra Ra, I kept coaxing myself...but how was I to pick 555 Babe Gear when I felt like a hopeless fuck head?
I found some crappy stool to sit down on, squished against some random fabric and an old lady selling dried bananas. Almost at the point of defeat......
And then. A miracle.
My Sharona. Starts Playing. Across the market.
Wooooooo!!!!!!!!! Dun na na na na na... Jump up...Dun na na na na na...do a little dance... Dun na na na na na.....Feel myself coming alive...Dun na na na na na....My Sharona!!!
555 Babe Gear here I come! Get the fuck outta my way (please).
8 hours later, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. Proceeded to drink some beers with the lady vendors.
For 555's GRRL series, Lola's pick of HAWT insane bitches has to go to Concetta Kirschner, the bad ass behind Princess Superstar.
She started in 1994 and hasn't looked back.
Princess Superstar mixes hip hop and electro beats setting her bar high as a white female rapper. She also finds the time to fly around the world to dj hott jams that will make any girl hott in the pants.
When it comes to fashion she is classic with a side of 'I don't give a fuck'. Knowing she is a total babe, she rocks everything like her own. She is on 'the do's' 100% of the time.
Only a talented hot blonde can rock this with out looking like a total waste bag.
What a babe! mixing a classic 1930's face vale with a lace tank.
Hipstered out! (while the term lasts), or a 13 year old emo kids wet dream.
Fun fact not only is she a talented trend setting babe she is also a vegan!
