The "coquette style," rich in romantic accents such as ribbons, pearls, and lace, has emerged as the latest beauty trend. This style is rooted in an aesthetic that embraces a playful and energetic personality, reclaiming the essence of girlhood and enjoyment. It has gained popularity, especially since last fall, among influencers, millennials, and Generation Z.
Chang Wonyoung of the K-pop group IVE has also embraced this trend, showcasing her coquette style featuring ribbons and heart stickers on her Instagram.
Portland, USA-based makeup artist Chime Dolker shares, “The coquette style allows me to embrace both femininity and girlishness.” She has exhibited this style through her makeup, using liquid colors and blushes to create intricate pink ribbons on her nose. Dolker explains that adding small pink ribbons to the face brings back a sense of feminine joy and delicacy.
The coquette style offers an appealing choice for those looking to express their individuality and add a touch of whimsy and color to their daily life.
Iris Apfel, known for her eccentric and unique fashion, was beloved by many designers.
She was a fashion icon, interior designer, and collector who passed away at the age of 102 on March 1, 2024, carrying the feedback of her life experience.
In her youth, she encountered a remark that would change her life. A department store owner once told her, "You're not pretty." However, the woman quickly softened her words, saying, "You have something better. You have your own style."
Iris grew up in Queens, New York, during the Great Depression in 1929, in a household where her mother, a boutique owner, "worshipped at an altar of accessories." This upbringing instilled in her a love for the idea of "adorning oneself." She frequented junk shops in Greenwich Village seeking treasures and practiced DIY long before the term became popular, embodying the concept through her knack for creating classic chic from a mix of elements.
Iris's career defied the ageist tendencies prevalent in the fashion industry. When she achieved great success as an "It girl," she was already over 80 and humorously referred to herself as an "octogenarian starlet." Designers adored Iris, leading to a modeling contract with IMG at the age of 97.
Iris's cult personality led to book publications and collaborations with H&M, and in 2014, the documentary film "Iris Apfel: 94-Year-Old New Yorker" directed by Albert Maysles was released. She once told the filmmaker, "I like improvisation when dressing. I want to choose my clothes as if I'm playing jazz, trying this and that."
In a world filled with rigid style rules and age-appropriate dressing norms, Iris remained a luminous figure, stating, "I like things that have character. It seems to me that many people have lost their individuality." In a time when quiet luxury and safe, neutral fashion are preferred, Iris's style felt even more eccentric. Her luxury was anything but quiet, but like many style icons, she expressed herself through fashion.
LEVI'S is releasing “LOT 401,” a reproduction of the oldest women's blue jeans.
LEVI'S had previously worked on the “Levi's 401” jeans, which served as a precursor to the “LEVI'S 701,” known as the world's first women's blue jeans. Tracey Panek, who oversees the Levi Strauss & Co. archive, believes that “LEVI'S 401” may have been a limited-production prototype created to test the market before launching “LEVI'S 701.”
The archive is named “Viola” after Viola Longacre, a student at the Fresno State College Sierra Summer School in the 1930s, who was studying to become a teacher. Her classes often took place on a campus in the Sierra National Forest, making these jeans, with her name inscribed in the inside pocket, an ideal, durable, and sturdy garment.
LEVI'S faithfully recreates the oldest women's blue jeans and pays homage to Viola, who wore them. Like the original “Viola” archive denim, it features an orange-printed fabric patch sewn between the belt loops and cinch. Made with selvedge denim reproduced by Kaihara Denim, it is characterized by a high waist, and “Viola’s” name is similarly inscribed in the inside pocket. The item comes with a photo of Viola and a letter detailing the jeans and her story, all packed in a tote bag adorned with the “LEVI'S” logo and the “LOT 401” patch.
បណ្ណាល័យត្រូវបានដាក់ឈ្មោះថា “Viola” ដោយស្រង់ឈ្មោះពី Viola Longacre ជាសិស្សនៅ Fresno State College Sierra Summer School ក្នុងទសវត្សរ៍ឆ្នាំ ១៩៣០ ដែលកំពុងសិក្សាដើម្បីក្លាយជាគ្រូបង្រៀន។ ថ្នាក់រៀនរបស់នាងញឹកញាប់ត្រូវបានធ្វើនៅលើទីធ្លាក្នុងព្រៃជាតិសាធារណៈ Sierra ដែលធ្វើឱ្យខោខូវប៊យនេះដែលមានឈ្មោះរបស់នាងចំលាក់នៅក្នុងហោប៉ៅខាងក្នុង ជាសម្លៀកបំពាក់ដែលល្អឥតខ្ចោះ ធន់និងរឹងមាំ។
MUSINSA, a global store that promotes the allure of Korea's latest fashion and culture to the world, is releasing a limited collection item from Takashi Murakami x BLACKPINK “IN YOUR AREA”.
This collection marks the second collaboration between Takashi Murakami, known for his innovative and unique artistic style, and BLACKPINK, a globally loved artist and fashion icon. The first collection was unveiled at one of the world's largest art fairs, "Art Basel Miami Beach," last year and became a major topic of conversation.
The second installment of the collaboration will be exclusively available in Japan at the MUSINSA global store. The collection includes 13 types of products, from apparel like T-shirts, hoodies, and bomber jackets to fashion accessories and items such as tote bags, keyrings, and stickers, all available for purchase through a special website. Additionally, a limited-edition lightstick designed by Takashi Murakami, making its first appearance in this collection, will be unveiled and sold exclusively at offline pop-up stores and online.
A representative from MUSINSA stated, “We are very pleased to deliver the collaboration between two iconic artists representing modern culture from MUSINSA. We hope it will be an opportunity to provide a fresh experience not only to fans of BLACKPINK but also to many who are interested in the unique world of Takashi Murakami.”
MUSINSA ដែលជាហាងលក់ពិភពលោកដែលផ្សព្វផ្សាយភាពទាក់ទាញនៃម៉ូដថ្មីៗ និងវប្បធម៌កូរ៉េទៅកាន់ពិភពលោក នឹងចេញលក់ផលិតផលកម្រិតកំណត់ពី Takashi Murakami x BLACKPINK “IN YOUR AREA”។
Cambodia’s senior national football team fell 2-0 against Equatorial Guinea in the first of two FIFA Series matches on Saturday at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Cambodia, popularly referred to as “Kouprey”, faced Equatorial Guinea from Africa at 2am local time.
The Kouprey struggled to compete against a team ranked a hundred places higher, conceding two goals in the first half. Equatorial Guinea’s first goal came just nine minutes into the game, when left winger Joan Lopez made a brilliant solo move breezing by three Cambodian players – Yudai Ogawa, Chea Chandara and Sin Sophanat – before scoring with his left foot. Cambodia’s goalie Hul Kimhuy tried to save, but the ball was too quick.
Cambodia sought to make the most of their limited chances when Equatorial Guinea accidentally relinquished possession. Halfway through the first half midfielder Yudai sent a long ball to forward Mat Noron, who was well-positioned to receive it. Noron then skipped past an Equatorial Guinea player, but ran into Cosme Ebang, captain of Equatorial Guinea, who snagged the ball to clear it away.
Equatorial Guinea, nicknamed “National Thunder”, scored their second goal in the 35th minute.
Joan Lopez, who scored the opener, assisted from the left side. Lopez sent the ball into the box to find midfielder Basilio Socoliche who used his left foot to place the ball squarely into the net.
Second half play was no different than the first as the National Thunder continued to dominate the game, putting pressure on Kouprey. Equatorial Guinea produced more good opportunities with more shots on goal. However, they were all blocked by goalie Hul Kimhuy.
Cambodia’s first on-target attempt came in the 80th minute from replacement striker Phan Sophen. He used his left foot to fire a powerful shot but the Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper caught it.
Even though Cambodia did not win, many Cambodian football supporters were pleased with the team, citing their improved performance. However, fans hope they can improve their scoring skill, which many say is still the biggest issue holding back the national team.
Cambodia is set to play one more encounter on Wednesday at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium against Guyana, a squad from FIFA’s North, Central America, and Caribbean zone. Guyana ranks 157th in FIFA’s world standings, above Cambodia at 179th.
FIFA said that its new Series was organised to provide more opportunities for international football clubs to meet outside regular regional tournaments and World Cup qualification schedule.
FIFA wants to promote competition between international teams to encourage more comprehensive development for football worldwide.
The inaugural edition of the new FIFA Series features twenty national football teams competing in four venues spanning three continents. Following the international match calendar, the FIFA Series is scheduled to run biennially during March of every even year.
Dance vocal group Atarashii Gakko! is known for performing in distinctive sailor-style school uniforms under the mottos of “Marching outside the lines with individuality and freedom” and “Representing a new generation of Japanese youth.” The quartet had a breakthrough year in 2023.
At a performance at a club in Toronto on Nov. 13, the whole venue buzzed with excitement. Suzuka, the main vocalist of the group, called out: “We are from Japan. Hamidashite iku,” which means “we are marching outside the lines,” to which the audience replied, “Hamidashite iku!”
The highlight of the show was when Suzuka started singing “Otonablue” in her deep voice and the audience began to sing along.
Photo by Maya Kuraki Members of Atarashii Gakko! perform at a concert in Toronto.
“Canada is so far away from Japan. I didn’t realize that we really had fans there. There were also a lot of people who liked us so much that they learned Japanese. One of them told us ‘Good job’ in Japanese,” Rin said.
From Nov. 7 to Dec. 3, the group toured six U.S. cities as well as Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong and Thailand. In each country, Atarashii Gakko! met fans who wore sailor uniforms and sang their favorite songs by the group. “Thanks to social media, they love us even though they haven’t met us, because they can see us online endlessly,” Suzuka said.
‘Head-swinging dance’ invented
Atarashii Gakko! consists of four members — Suzuka, with her round glasses, stern singing voice, and overwhelming presence; Mizyu, with her hair in pigtails, moving briskly; Kanon, with her elegant long black hair; and Rin, with her close-cropped hair and firm character.
These four highly skilled dancers formed the group in 2015.
They started out dressed like honor students in their sailor uniforms and indoor school shoes, wearing armbands like the leaders of the student council.
“We have a spirit of obeying school rules. We don’t shorten our skirts or dress down like rebels,” Rin said. However, they march off the edge of what’s expected with outlandish ideas.
“We love to giggle at things like, ‘Oh, isn’t this crazy good?’ Everything starts with the coolness in the silliness and the badness,” Suzuka said.
What she said is reflected in the unique songs the group sings. Suzuka’s deep voice sounds nostalgic over the intense beats of rock, hip-hop, electro-pop and other genres. She loves Showa-era (1926-1989) songs with because of their unique verses and atmosphere, where she can feel the singer’s determination. “I learned about [Showa-era diva] Akina Nakamori from my mother. Showa songs made me love singing even more.”
Suzuka holds a glass from a 100-yen store for the cover art for the song “Otonablue.”
One of the group’s most popular songs is “Otonablue,” which is about longing for love as an adult, but their most moving songs include lyrics about their feelings while in school.
“Giri Giri” is a song that explodes in despair with lyrics like “Teacher, I can’t do it right,” and “Koi no Shadanki” (Railroad crossing gate to love) is a song about how a girl feels when her best friend starts dating the person she loves.
The choreography is also creative, with the four members coming up with dazzling poses such as the “head-swinging dance,” which combines the style of the song with the individuality of each member. They also perform coordinated group gymnastics, piggyback riding and somersaults.
“We physically give it our all,” Mizyu said.
Kanon is the one who lifts the other members in the piggyback ride. “We think it makes the biggest impact and makes us look big,” she said.
Steady efforts
It took some time for Atarashii Gakko! to gain buzz. The group posted videos of themselves singing and dancing to their own songs, as well as domestic and international hits on TikTok. In May 2020, during the beginning of the spread of COVID-19, they released “Otonablue.” They shot both the music video and the single cover themselves.
Gradually, their efforts became recognized as a video of the four singing a song called “Koi Geba” piqued the interest of the U.S. record label 88rising. The label released the funky song “Nainainai” in 2021, and Atarashii Gakko! made their worldwide debut and became “representatives of a new generation of Japanese youth.” The four flew to the United States and recorded an EP called “Snacktime” that was produced by Money Mark, known for his work with the Beastie Boys.
Then, the tide suddenly turned last year. The music video for “Otonablue” aired on a TV singing show, and the number of views on the video — which was already being shared on social media — skyrocketed.
Photo by usami ryo Members of Atarashii Gakko! make a coordinated group gymnastic pose at Tokyo Gymnasium.
“The song and the performance of ‘Otonablue’ are both so lovely. We’ve been trying to get the message across, and we’ve been thinking that one day it would get across, and it finally did this year [in 2023],” Suzuka said.
Now that they are all in their 20s, the meaning of the sailor-style school uniform has changed for the four of them. “At first, we were middle school and high school students, so we were just being ourselves. But now, when we go out into the world and wear school uniforms, we feel like we are representing Japan. The school uniform is as indispensable as a combat uniform,” Kanon said.
“The uniform is essential as the foundation of the group. But we recently got new clothes. I hope you can look forward to seeing the four of us change into different outfits,” Mizyu said.
The “representatives of a new generation of Japanese youth” will continue to bring fun to all over the world this year.
More than 10,000 tourists woke up at 5am yesterday to visit Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap to watch the Spring Equinox sunrise.
Seng Sotheara, Director of the Department of Natural Cultural Tourism of Apsara Authority, said more than 10,000 foreign visitors and Cambodian people visited the temple to enjoy the sunrise above the central tower of Angkor Wat temple.
He estimated that more than 2,500 international tourists along with 7,500 Cambodian visitors flocked to the site before dawn.
Each year, the equinox occurs twice, during the spring dry season, which is the Vernal Equinox on March 21, and during the fall rainy season, which is the Autumnal Equinox and occurs on September 22 this year.
The two equinoxes are the only times during the year when the axis of the Earth is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun. During an equinox, the duration of the sun in the sky is exactly equal to the period of nighttime darkness around the world.
Some of the tourists visiting the temple waited on the edge of the moat in front of the temple, while others came to sit in the old library of Angkor Wat in front of the main temple. Yet others waited near the north and south ponds of the temple to see the view and snap photos.
The central causeway was packed with visitors trying to snap photos of the rising sun.
Some of the local visitors from Siem Reap said, while they’ve visited Angkor Wat many times before this was the first time they got up early enough to visit before 5am to watch the beauty of the sunrise over the central tower of Angkor Wat temple.
The sky was cloudless and the rising sun reflected over the pond, radiating a golden glow above the temple. Everyone admired the breathtaking sight.
Tourists visiting from the United States expressed surprise and delight at seeing the sunrise over Angkor Wat. They said that the sight of the sun rising exactly over the middle of the central tower of the temple was an amazing experience. The visitors added that the unique experience cannot be compared to any other natural event on Earth.
Minister of Tourism Sok Soken addressed the press at a conference hosted by the Club of Cambodian Journalists yesterday morning at Angkor Wat.
He said the ministry is considering how to develop the experience of visitors to Angkor Wat, as well as about how to promote tourism in Cambodia more effectively.
The minister said that people around the world know about the special sunrise at Angkor Wat during the equinox, and that the extraordinary event is a chance to build cultural ties around the world, and to share Cambodia’s cultural heritage.
He added that the Angkor Wat Archaeological Park area is under the administration of the Apsara Authority. However, there has been discussion about reviewing current ticket prices and the type of services available to visitors.
“We have to look ahead to the future in order to evaluate the cost of visiting the Angkor Park,” said the minister.
He added, “We want to advertise Angkor Wat and the services on offer here, and we know the ticket price has to be acceptable to everyone.”
On March 16, 2024, a new area called "Witch's Valley" opened in Ghibli Park.
The most striking feature in this new area is "Howl's Castle," inspired by the living creature-like castle from "Howl's Moving Castle." Standing about 20 meters tall, it's a true "moving castle," with parts moving and emitting smoke several times an hour, surrounded by a wasteland reminiscent of the movie scenes. The first floor houses a dimly lit living room, Calcifer's hearth, a sink, a table, and Sophie's room, while the second floor includes Howl's bedroom, his dressing room, his atelier, as well as a bathroom and Markl's room.
"Witch's Valley" also features a European-style area inspired by "Kiki's Delivery Service" and "Earwig and the Witch," with buildings like the "Goochoki Bakery" that immerse visitors in the story's world.
In the existing areas, spaces themed around Ghibli works such as "Whisper of the Heart" and "My Neighbor Totoro" offer short animation exhibits, cafes, and shops. Ghibli Park seems like a place where fans can immerse themselves all day in the enchanting world of Ghibli.
Dries Van Noten, one of the "Antwerp Six," has announced his departure from his eponymous brand. He will step down from his designer post after presenting the Spring/Summer 2025 menswear collection in June, with the following Spring/Summer 2025 women's collection to be handled by the studio team that has worked with him for many years.
Dries has been contemplating his retirement for some time. "I have been preparing for this moment for a while now and feel it is time to leave room for a new generation of talent to bring a fresh vision to the brand," he wrote in his resignation statement.
While no successor to lead the "Dries Van Noten" brand has been announced yet, it is planned that "at the right time, we will reveal the designer who will continue the story of Dries Van Noten's men's and women's lines." Dries himself will continue to be involved with the brand in a different capacity.
The narrative of "Dries Van Noten," drawn with a belief in the power of clothing and characterized by rich imagination and vibrant colors, is now moving on to a new chapter.
GUCCI announced that it has appointed Yuzuru Hanyu, a leading figure skater in Japan, as a brand ambassador. Upon his appointment, Hanyu expressed his delight, stating, "I am sincerely happy to become part of the GUCCI community, which nurtures bonds with creators around the world beyond the realm of fashion." He also expressed his admiration for the heritage brand, saying, "I would like to continue learning about the charm of GUCCI, which has devoted passion to craftsmanship and demonstrated exceptional creativity throughout its long history, and has many fans in Japan as well."
Hanyu, who won Olympic gold medals in 2014 and 2018 and was awarded the People's Honour Award in 2020 as the youngest recipient ever, has achieved numerous accomplishments. After turning professional in July 2022, he has been highly praised for activities beyond the realm of athletics, such as organizing ice shows and supporting the reconstruction of his hometown, Sendai. The collaboration between Hanyu, who continues to captivate the world with his innovative leaps, and the heritage maison GUCCI, is something to look forward to.
