Designs #3 Some jacket designs

Here are a Modern Dance jacket designs i did. The slogans from the 2nd and 3rd one are the titles of 2 of the dances we did.

Writings #2 A thought on the movie “Pleasantville”

One important thing we notice about Pleasantville is its use of colours as a symbol. It addresses themes such as race, sexuality and personal freedom. However, the use colours has other obvious significance to me. I think “turning technicoloured” in the film means gaining knowledge and discovering new things about oneself.

It is often understood when someone uses the phrase “leads a colourful life”. It simply means having a lot of different types of life experiences. This is something desirable because such a life gives room for knowledge and emotions of all kind. Leading a “colourful life” is definitely more fulfilling than a boring “black and white” one.

In the beginning of the movie, people in Pleasantville lived in a black and white world. The people were generally happy, and being happy was about the only feeling they were capable of having. Every emotion in Pleasantville was “pleasant”. People were satisfied with life becasue they did not know what else to ask for. The students at Pleasantville were taught only about it. They did not know that the world extended beyond the tiny Pleasantville. When there was nothing to compare with Pleasantville, the only became the best.

The people did not know what it felt like to “feel” other feelings. To the residents of Pleasantville, love was “Honey, I’m home.” and ” Darling, i baked you a meat loaf”. Happiness was holding hands in Lover’s Lane or getting a prize at the science fair. The emotions experiences by the people of Pleasantville were simple and postive.

Then technicolours arrived with David and Jennifer. They slowly turned the town into colours with their modern ideas. The first hint of colour in Pleasantville was the red rose Skip saw after making passionate love to Jennifer (Mary Sue). He learnt about sex and love. He turned colourful because he became capable of such passion. Similar to Skip, Betty also discovered and embraced sexuality. After knowing more about her own body, her world became colourful. As she proceeded to find out about her love for Bill, she herself turned colourful too.

Bill turned technicoloured after David (Bud) helped him to discover his love and talent for art. Art helped Bill open up his mind. From a man of routine and tradition, Bill became creative and imaginative, acquiring the traits of a modern man. Jennifer (Mary Sue), although modern and updated, went beyond her usual self too. She used to only know about looking good and dating cool guys. After she started reading and studying, she gained knowledge that could not be gained in daily life. She then, became one of the “coloureds” in Pleasantville.

David was one of the last to turned coloured. Although he dated Margaret, he remained black and white because adolescent love was something that he already knew. In fact, nothing in Pleasantville was new to him. His “time” only came when he punched Whitey for humiliating Betty. Here he learnt that instead of keeping Pleasantville the way it was, he should change it like what Jennifer had been doing. Instead of helping Betty to cover up her “true colours” as seen in the applying make-up scene, he stood up for Betty this time round. People that experienced similar realisations were George and Big Bob. With the help of his own son. George realised that his love for Betty actually went beyond needing her to take care of him. Big Bob, on the other hand, let out a yell of anger for the first time, surprising not just others, but himself.

The whole town gradually turned colourful as people gained knowledge (going to the library, having sex etc.) and found out more about themselves. Their lives became more exciting and colourful as David And Jennifer led them to explore new limits.

I believe the use of colours as the symbol of knowledge is appropriate. Afterall, black and white TV sitcoms like Pleasantville only became the coloured movies we have today because of the gaining of scientific knowledge which then led to inventions and new creations.

Random writings #1 Random inspiration

I have been meaning to write about the lecture given by Ms Wu, only didn’t have time the whole of last week. Was really grateful that she came. It might have been “just an SIL” or “just another lecture” for some students, but it was meaningful to me.

I have wanted to become a fashion designer since I was 5 or 6. This ambition remained as I juggled the other dreams of being a lawyer, a doctor (yes I’ve thought about that!), a journalist etc. I Have been getting ready to go to a fashion school since I was 13. When I was 14, 15, i checked the internet for schools and courses. Sadly though, when i was 16, I realised that this ambition was unrealistic.

People may tell you”go for your dreams”, “there’s no limit to what you can do” and so on, but here’s reality. Going to a fashion school means a lot of money and i don’t come from a filthy rich family. Going ahead with fashion also means that I will have to put aside the academic stuff that I’ve been doing for 10 plus years. Studying fashion also means that that will be my only way to make a living in future, in other words, if I don’t make it in the fashion industry, that’s it, over for me.

The “realistic me” then dreamt of going to Princeton, to Stanford. The “realistic me” also planned to be a lawyer, a doctor or a journalist.

The Paris Ms Wu described was just the one I’ve been dreaming about. What impressed me most, besides her accomplishments, was the way she was. She had an air of a fashion designer. I liked the way she spoked slowly and gently, with enough confidence. I liked how she carried chiffon dress with a masculine jacket on her slight figure. I liked how she said “John Galliano” without even raising an eyebrow (i mean hey! JOHN GALLIANO!).

She wasn’t the typical designer I saw. She just looked happy, satisfied with doing what she was doing. She loved fashion, loved Paris. AND THATS WHAT I WANT TO FEEL!

Here is one of the fashion schools I’ve been wanting to go to. www.istitutomarangoni.com

They have 3 schools, one in PARIS, one is Milan and the other in London. The students’ works were wonderful. Friends, do check it out if you have a bit of time

Photography #2 It’s dark, little duckies come out and play

Title: It’s dark, little duckies come out and play

Medium: Photography

Location: Along East Coast Highway