Barbie and Ken, not as you know it

Happy SPRING!

What do you normally think about when you hear the word Barbie? Those nostalgic doll-playing days or the embodiment of the “perfectly sized” woman? Well, one artist – Margaux Lange creates handcrafted jewelry out of Barbie parts…yes, the plastic parts of Barbie dolls!

The artist herself found inspiration growing up and playing with Barbie and Ken dolls, and she describes her creative thought process in turning Barbie into an accessory: ” I enjoy the funny juxtaposition of wearing the body, on the body. Barbie has become the accessory instead of being accessorized. I take pleasure in the contrast and contradiction of something mass-produced being transformed and revealed as a unique, handmade, wearable piece of art. “

Here are some of my favorite pieces -

  

     (copyright Margaux Lange)

Although some may think it’s a bit creepy to be “wearing” plastic body parts, I think her pieces are actually very wearable & unusually sophisticated. It’s playful yet full of symbolism. Completely out-of-the-box and awesome!!

PS – Did you also know Barbie was originally inspired by a German cartoon?

Pencil Sculptures

Pencils are nostalgic to my grade school days, to my coloring book days and to being a kid. (And on a deeper level, being able to correct a mistake =) But it is such a mundane object that one wouldn’t think of turning it into an artform or even jewelry. One artist - Jen Maestro has, who makes these incredible sea creature-like sculptures out of shortened and sharpened colored pencils, how neat!

     
   (copyright Jen Maestro)

In the artists’ own words on her choice of subject and material, “There is true a fragility to the sometimes brutal aspect of the sculptures, vulnerability that is belied by the fearsome texture.” I especially LOVE her use of color throughout her pieces, and what a smart way to transform a commonly found object and giving it a complete spin! She strings the pencils with a beading technique, and has also translated her pencil theme into jewelry making…

      Definitely a conversation starter!

Urban Outfitters

Hands down, UO is one of my favorite places to shop. Call it eclectic, trendy or popular, there are some great finds to be made everytime I venture into one (my only hope is that it won’t turn into a mass-produced ‘corporate thing’). I also have to mention that their catalogues and store displays always serve up fresh concepts and ideas that help me in my design work…

Of course, it’s all about the dresses these days, not to mention that it is easy to throw on one piece for a completed look rather than pulling a top and bottom and make it look great together.
Some of my favorite styles right now are layered ruffles and the “secretary dress” look:

     

My other favorite thing about UO is that they put out a special line called Urban Renewal (the Secretary dress is from this line), where the pieces are crafted from vintage clothes and fabric remnants in the creation of truely one-of-a-kind and limited pieces (my kinda thing!). It’s pretty affordable and sold at most UO stores, and now also on Ebay! How cool =)

Off I go to shop!

Japanese Bento & Harajuku

These will be the coolest lunch boxes you’ve ever seen. Decorated bento boxes have become so trendy in Japan, especially amongst moms who make them for their kids to bring to school..it turns food into art!

            

      

Yummy! I’ve always appreciated the Japaneses’ attention to detail and quality in everything from design to technology…and I absolutely LOVE love the intricate details and how meticulous these lunch boxes are laid out and designed, it truely is artistic. The first 3 are from Cute Bento, created and blogged by a mom from Japan who creates them for her sons (how lucky!). Her “work” has been featured and published in books, and happens to be friends with someone who is in one of my design classes who first shared these with us.

Another example of cool Japanese artform is the Harajuku subculture, which has taken off in the States thanks to Gwen Stefani and her love for her backup dancers, the Harajuku Girls. She’s developed a line called Harajuku Lovers, which includes handbags and clothing..more cuteness!

     

I was doing some early Christmas shopping last weekend and picked up an adorable purse for my little cousin, it even had a Koosh attached to the zipper!

Japan has always been somewhere I’d loveeee to visit one day. And the Harajuku District is definitely worth checking out, from the street fashion to the shops. I also didn’t know that there are different dress “types” of harajuku: Gothic Lolita, Punk, Cosplay, and Kawaii to name a few that categorizes everything from clothing and costume to hair, makeup and accessories. (In case you wanted to learn how to dress harajuku, here’s how!) It’s like Halloween for these girls everyday, but it would be cool to know if they identify their costumes with who they actually are, or whether they use it as a disguise…?! And in case you were wondering, there are Harajuku GUYS out there too! Love it or hate it, it is fascinating to me…this can really turn into a cool project on subcultures.

      

Wedding Fever..!

So one of my dear coworkers just got engaged last night! She actually left midday to see the dentist for the major pain she feels post wisdom teeth removal, and got the surprise of her life when she found a trail of rose petals & a GORGEOUS ring waiting for her at home. How sweet! Someone else also got engaged last month in the office, and it is spreading like wildfire…seriously, it puts you in a whole different mindset. I’m so happy for her!

Hello world!

“Hi, nice to meet you. My name’s Jinny.”
“No…it’s not Jenny, Jennie or Jeannie. It’s Jinny like GIN but spelled with a ‘J’, just add the -ny at the end…”
[and smile] =)

This conversation typically occurs when someone meets me for the first time, and nearly always gets my name wrong. I guess it’s just easier to put someone in a common category, but it’s really not that hard. And don’t even get me started on my Chinese name…

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Welcome to Jinny, like Gin - a place for my collected daily escapades, cool things that I want to share with the world, and a showcase of my work as a designer and creative enthusiast.

Feel free to roam around!
Jinny
[and smile] =)