Different from its counterpart; the sunglasses, a pair of glasses are synonimous with a certain style lable: geek chic. This stereotype enducing items are a common thought when you’re thinking of scientists, programmers, librarians and many other profession that you might consider as nerdy. But stripped down from any types of occupations – nerdy or otherwise, are a pair of glasses a turn on or the opposite? I wear a pair myself and I’ve gotten mixed reviews from friends of both genders. Some of the girls think I look smart, but the guys think I look too smart. Other girls say that without them I look pale (even though I’m an advocate for dark eyeliners and/or the smoky eyes look, without a pair of my glasses, they say I look pale – sickly, even!), and other boys say that I look better wearing them. It’s safe to conclude that some men consider that a person wearing glasses are intellegently intimidating, while some women considers that glasses are an accessory of necessity to define how someone looks.

Despite the various designer brands who constantly supplies eye wear of the non sun visored style, I don’t see a lot of people rocking the look of geek chic as a staple item. It’s just another pair of accessories to complete the look. It’s safe to say that glasses might not be as fashionable as the labels thinks it should. But wether it’s fashionable or not, I didn’t ask this – I asked if a pair of glasses are sexy or not. For the sake of argument, let’s say that the sexiest woman/man you could think of in the world (generally speaking Megan Fox for the dudes and James Franco for the ladies) wears a pair, would you think of them even more sexier? Do they become more sexier because they are already in that sexy category or does the glasses make them even more so?  Another point that would be obvious is that a pair of glasses are not the same as lacy lingerie or a well-made Italian suit – so obviously glasses should not be synonimous with the label of “looking sexy”, and yet it still does anyway. As anything else we ascociate with beauty, it is in the eye of the beholder so the jury still could not come up with the verdict. You know what I think, what do you think?

I remember the first time I saw you was in the movie Cat on a Hat Tin Roof (1958), playing the long-suffering wife of an alcoholic (Paul Newman). It was palpable that you just wanted to love and be loved, and you tried your darnedest to maintain the rocky marriage. You were radiant, no doubt, clothed in a simple, short white dress, but there were something else on offer—you were raw, vulnerable, and yet had this unmistakable veneer of feminine strength that shone through your eyes. And, for me, that has always been your persona: the vulnerable yet plucky woman, with a look that seems divinely designed for Hollywood stardom—dark hair, pearly skin, buxom body, and the oh-so-intoxicating violet eyes. Who in the world could have violet eyes?  Only you.

That violet eyes has famously penetrated through the screen and hypnotized audience who has followed you since you were an 11-year-old girl befriending Lassie in Lassie Come Home (1943), and with fellow child star, Mickey Rooney, in National Velvet (1944). Then you blossomed beautifully into a bona fide movie star (avoiding adult obscurity that plague so many child actors up until today) with a string of movies that I am a huge fan of, such as Giant (1956), with James Dean and Rock Hudson; Suddenly, Last Summer (1959), with Katharine Hepburn and Montgomery Clift; BUtterfield 8 (1960), which finally earned you a well-deserved Academy Award for Best Actress; and the sort of infamous Cleopatra (1963), the most expensive movie at the time and which made you the highest paid actress in Hollywood with a fee of US$1million.  “

Once you had made this amusing remark: “My mother says I didn’t open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw was an engagement ring. I was hooked.” You probably said that as a joke to the endless inquiries of your eight time marriages (twice to actor Richard Burton). Your love affair with diamonds is also something that is legendary. I know there are many men in your life, but you truly embodied how diamonds are a girl’s best friend. But, if it were true, I think it also explains your road to stardom—you saw the glimmer and saw it as a sign that your place is indeed amongst the stars. And for that, dear Elizabeth Taylor, you are truly beloved.

Text by Sahiri Loing.

As an observer of fashion (and everything else that relates to it), I find myself wondering about the color pink. It’s bright, always associated with all things female, and a well-known singer ironically uses the color as her stage name. In color psychology, it signifies friendship, tranquility and honor. It’s also the main staple for romance… Hey, no wonder that pre-wedding photo collection that my friend showed me was themed in an abundance of the color pink. But does pink really work in fashion? When some designers create an ensemble – couture or otherwise, in the color pink, I always thought that the piece is just a play piece that was designed only to brighten up the rest of the collection. If it was a pink ensemble worn head-to-toe on a fashion runway, for me it becomes a costume. Much like how Elle Woods wears it, as well as Harry Potter’s Jane Umbridge, and Marilyn Monroe’s costume in the dance number “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” from the movie ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ (which was later revived by Madonna in her Material Girl music video) – all that, prime examples of how our contemporary culture portrays the color pink: as costumes. So when I decide to wear pink on my wardrobe, does that qualify myself as wearing a costume? I can’t help by wanting to add a little loveliness to my everyday outfits, but I can’t very well wear it head to toe. I know what you must be thinking: “Wear it with black!” or “Pair it with turquoise.” and others would say, “Green is a nice match…” All reasonable but I can’t shake up the feeling that it’s still a costume – not something fashionable, not something that’s fashion forward, not swanky enough!

So the real dilemma here is, most probably, I shun the stereotype of the color. Unlike orange or yellow (which is a color that only look good in certain types of skin tone), pink is more accessible and that’s why it has such a prominent color characteristics. Do you have to be an 8-year-old girl to make the color look appropriate? Do you have to be immature to make a pink ensemble look good? Does the older we get the more pink would look ridiculous on us? This is one of those never ending personal quandaries that I will be haunted as long as I have a daily struggle with the question on what to wear. How does one really get to be pretty in the color pink?

Regrettably, the show started a bit late. There were heavy rainfall prior to the concert, and traffic was expectedly demanding. Sajama Cut opened the show at about fifteen minutes to ten, playing their songs excitedly, and helped cheer the mood. A tom-tom drum was placed well in the middle of the stage and one of their members could be seen beating it energetically, mouthing the lyrics, while wearing no shirt on. They played a couple of their old and new songs, including a cover and their major radio hit, the single ‘Less Afraid.’ In the middle of their performance the vocalist joked to the crowd to bear with them. “I’ve seen a show recently, the opening act was a pretty good band, but I just wanted them to get it over with. I know how you all feel.” The audience laughed. Then the band went on playing four more songs before exiting the stage. Despite of the crowd’s sentiments towards any kind of opening act, the performance was good while also being appropriate. Their sound was relatively similar to that of Asobi Seksu’s, giving the crowd a familiar comfort as well as a proper introduction to what was ahead.

The lights dimmed after Sajama walked out. Fans were getting more excited, approaching the metal fence placed between the stage and the array of photographers below. Not long after, James Hanna and Yuki Chikudate walked in and the crowd screamed. James gave a smile and proceeded to his guitar. Yuki was tiny. She looked like a modern crossbreed of a Japanese doll and Björk, perhaps with better shoes. Her stature was a little deceitful, for her voice was big, high notes and soaring screams. That night it was essentially perfect. She emulated exactly the sound one is used to hear of her on the records, with no identifiable glitch. Asobi Seksu sounded just like how they are supposed to: the lovechild of a Japanese-speaking Kate Bush or Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Fraser with My Bloody Valentine.

A critic once praises Asobi Seksu for sounding “like daybreak.” It was apt. Their songs would start out quiet, twinkling, like a slowly-ending night, until James started strumming like there’s no tomorrow, signalling the coming of the sun. It would go on and on, wrapping you in a melodic haze, while Yuki’s voice echoes over the guitar and the pounding drums, sometimes indecipherable, and creating a perfect balance to the loud murmurs of the rest of the sound. The backdrop for the stage that night was fitting too, swirling colours of pink and orange, transporting you somewhere not there. Every song felt a little too short, like it had ended too soon. The rest of the crowd seemed to feel the same way, because the band had to do a double encore. At first they ended with ‘Red Sea’, walked out, returned, and played two more songs, rather unusual and more likely planned. However, after they left from their first encore, the crowd went on a chant of ‘we want more’s, getting louder and louder. The band returned, played a single song, then properly left this time. After the second one, the crowd still seemed implacated. They lingered, until the lights were slowly turned back on. One fan, perhaps exasperated, was heard to scream from the middle of the crowd: “Ulang dari awal!” Repeat all over again.

by : Astri Widita Kusumowidagdo

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The uber cool team of Androitz has striked us up again with another production of Sundaze- a monthly music event filled with performances of uptown/downtown jazz sets, deep soulful house music to mind our souls and both local and international DJ sets to make us dance the night away. Held in Marlin Beach, Putri Duyung in Jakarta on November 7th 2010, Sundaze White party was THE place to be. Just a hint of rain in the afternoon, did not dampened the spirits of the people who were ready to enjoy their not-so-lazy Sunday. As the sun sets, the clouds disappeared and the air was filled with a beautiful breeze. Escaping from the hectic jungle everyday work life, at Sundaze people came to relax and chill out with style. From local celebrities to fashionistas, the crowd at Sundaze was definitely a lively social one.

On each event, there’s usually a special dress-code and this Sundaze (as explained by the name) was all about white. Crisp, clean and beautiful were the gorgeous looking crowd, all having a fun time with their friends listening to the heavenly beats and hits played by local and international DJs and musical acts which includes Simon Grey, Calvin Jeremy, Anto Polski. The event also included live performances by Raif Gum feat. Monique Bingham, Alexa (jazzed dub version) and Groovology (Jazzed Dub set).

Sundaze is definitely not your average beach party, guests who arrived were greeted by the gates and enter a maze that takes them around through the cottages of Putri Duyung and pass through stalls of new and upcoming local brands and art such as TooManyClothing and Scream Art Loud. Young local artists showed off their stuff by decorating a white wall painted with their magical works of art. When entering the main stage area guest could take pictures in a mini studio of bright white lights and can take their unique souvenir straight home. Surely this event isn’t just a dance party for guests to come along and just enjoy good music, but the crowd was also entertained with performances of capoeira, stilted clowns in white walking around amongst the audience, delicious food and drinks to fill the guests hungry appetites and of course several stalls that sell clothes, customized art and quirky accessories to keep the guests happy.
Live performances by local well-known band, Alexa, pleased the audience with their harmonious jazzy tunes keeping the crowd enthusiastic and in a dance fever of fun and laughter. Lets not forget the fresh, young and talented Calvin Jeremy who also swayed the crowd with his dreamy and easygoing jazz melodies.

Other than the local favorites, one of the stars of the night, hit sensation DJ Simon Grey played tunes of electronic – soulful vibes of disco audacity. With his impressive and preposterously awesome mix of music, the crowd certainly enjoyed his performance. As if the crowd wasn’t pumped enough, one of the most legendary figures of house music, Ralf Gum mesmerized us all with his wicked underground house beats and was accompanied by the lovely Monica Bingham who easily won the crowd over with her playful and hypnotizing vocals. The soulful duet between these two amazing performers was simply an irresistible one you can’t miss. Sundaze was one of the signature events of the weekend, the mega beach affair was a haven for great entertainment, drinks, food and a great way to mingle with the energetic and elegant crowd.  [Photographs by Probo]

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Although rain was looming close to dampened the mood in Istora Senayan, Jakarta during the AHA SOULNATION festival 2010, I don’t think it stopped the whole R&B and soul music fans to come and check out this two day festival. With artist line up that includes Simply Red, MC Akil of Jurassic 5, Coolio, Les Nubians, Raul Midon, Dira J. Sugandi, Saba, Raffi & The Beat, BayuRisa and so much more, the festival is another tribute from Java Festival to urban music lovers from all over Indonesia. Only two weeks apart from their latest festival, the Java Rockin’ Land, Java Festival delivers their best at bringing joy to everyone’s weekend.

On their first day, they successfully brought up Simply Red to the stage. As a part of their farewell tour, fans from every age range were there to be the witness of their last performance on Asia and the world. Since the 80′s Simply Red has brought us so many great music that we can enjoy and sing along to, and their greatest hits can be categorized as songs of all time. You don’t need to know exactly how they look like to know their songs, because it just sticks in your head. And as a part of their farewell tour, Mick Hucknall promises to sing all of their greatest hits, which he delivers perfectly. His interactive performance successfully put everyone on their feet dancing to the beats of his songs and sang through their entire performance. Memories from the past two decades of when the singles came out back then and the vibe that he brought to every Simply Red fans who attended there was just perfect to reminisce the old days. Songs like ‘Ain’t That A Lot Of Love’, ‘You Make Me Feel Brand New’, ‘Stars’, ‘Something Got Me Started’, ‘Holding Back The Years’ and ‘If You Don’t Know Me By Now’ made everyone who’s there swayed to the mellow music in excitement. Hucknall’s enchanting voice hasn’t change one bit, his charismatic performance have improved to a much higher level, and the part where this is their farewell tour made them perform all out. Hands clapping and standing ovation in almost the whole performance doesn’t seem to stop them from giving their best. The memories of the first day of the festival became even more momentous for the fact that Simply Red’s farewell performance stayed in our hearts because of the melodious voice and captivating songs. If ever they decided on a Come Back Tour sometime in the near future, it will be a performance worth looking forward to – in the meantime, their songs will definitely still live in our iPods.

Second day is another story. We had Les Nubians in mind and we had to watch them perform. As ‘Makeda’ played on the stereo on the way over, and on my mind all day that day, we rushed to the AHA stage to see them. Different than yesterday’s performance, Les Nubians brought us a more relaxed and chilled out vibe with hit songs such as ‘ Makeda’, a remake of ‘Soul Makossa’ and ‘Sweetest Taboo’, and ‘Temperature Rising’. The sibling’s performance, although it’s far less upbeat than Simply Red’s, has successfully made everyone stood in awe. And they can really shake their hips to boot!. Enthusiastic as we already are, we had to face the fact that the performance has come to an end with them singing ‘Temperature Rising’, which was performed perfectly. With a witty smile, they say goodbye and thanked us for being a wonderful audience.
At the stage of Sandhy Sandhoro’s performance, everyone was greeted with his dazzling voice and a stage act worthy of an international star. Complete with his trademark sunglasses, he successfully hypnotized everyone there. The stage area was filled with hundreds of spectator singing to his songs. We were one of them standing among the crowd, trying to get a better view of him. Although sometimes, the feeling of being in Soulnation Festival could easily fade away and replaced by the feeling of being in Java Jazz Festival, Sandhy Sandhoro’s voice is still far hypnotizing than ever and I found the heart of the festival in him.

Another performance that I just had to watch before we end our night was A Tribute To Motown Music by Barry Likumahuwa. As a fan of Motown Records ever since I was little, I knew I had to watch them perform. Songs like ‘My Girl’, ‘Ain’t No Valley Low Enough’, ‘I’m Coming Out’, and ‘What’s Going On?’ was performed as a tribute to Motown Classics. I was pumped and jumping on my feet when they were performing. Performers such as Dira J. Sugandi, BayuRisa, Aiko, SABA and many more was there to help Barry Likumahuwa performs most of the songs. That night my love for Motown Classics just went straight back to my heart and it was the perfect performance to end our night. Our ride home was filled with satisfaction and smile that was painted on our face. This year’s Java Soulnation Festival has succeeded filling our souls with a renewed spirit for the love of music.

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Monkey to Millionaire opened the Vampires playing their hit songs, ‘Replika’ and ‘Lantai Merah’. The Jakarta-based band did a great job igniting heat for the fans of Vampire Weekend. The band even gave a special shout out to Monkey to Millionaire, giving them a thumbs up for a performance well done and it was apparent to the Monkeys that it was a significant moment. But when it came time for the Vampire Weekend to come out, the enthusiastic fans couldn’t help but feel excited, welcoming them, cheering and screaming like there’s no tomorrow. The intensity level was rising as the Vampires one by one started to show off their figure, it was a new moon rising on the weekend as the Vampires put their enthusiastic fans dream to see them live into reality. More screams heard. Especially to these teenage Indonesian fans it was a moment they had been waiting for, they really showed their enthusiasm and they didn’t fail to impress Ezra to give his fondness back to the fans. They were excited to play in Indonesia. Vampire Weekend essentially is a four piece indie rock band that hails from New York City. Formed in 2006 by Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio, Rostam Batmanglij and Chris Tomson, they have gone on to release two albums to date, a self titled album and the album that shot them to international stardom, Contra. Influenced by the many flairs of world music, many considers how much alike they sound like Talking Heads. Their first album comprised of positive reviews amongst the world’s toughest music critic and their follow-up album set a certain repertoire in the music industry.

First song played by the Vampires was “Holiday”, and more screams heard. Bengkel was full of a gratifying emotion, the atmosphere turned thunderous. That guitar sounded like virtually unplayable, but was played close to perfection anyway. They really put out African grooves, tropical melodies, and wave riding rhythms all combined to move up the crowd and they seemed to be playing all their songs effortlessly, all I could say was like sing one of those EMF songs, “You’re unbelievable!”. The face paced guitar runs on “Cousins” really blew everyone away, they really lost themselves in the zone. It was nothing short of a fantastic performance, the melodious hit song from the Vampires were enjoyed not only by the crowd but also by the four guys on stage – preferring a happy tune to play every time. The ground beneath was shaking, these people seemed like they didn’t bother even if their lives were endangered in the situation, it was imaginable the ground could tear apart, they just didn’t care, they were hypnotized and in a daze under those stupefying bright lights.

Chris, the bassist danced and played his bass like Paul Simonon, the fans couldn’t fail to notice how exotic he was. He really stood out on stage. There was Rostam who was being very active switching instruments, and gladly presenting their first encore songs “Horchata” with his “instrument”. Chris the drummer really kept it going on strong, he was wearing a Jason Kidd’s Nets jersey. And Ezra he was the fans favorite, it was like the fans would mind if they missed out on Ezra’s presence, he’s really sweet and friendly. The Vampire Weekend really gave a terrific performance for everyone who attended, and it’s clear that Jakarta loves them. A good show, only there was one thing missing, the stage’s props looked pretty easy, the promoter could have done better on the stage decorations, like the plain black backdrop couldn’t have more crafts. It was a bloodsucking night to watch the Vampire and the kids loved it

By : By Jojo Tiroyoh

There are not enough names in the Indonesian fashion scene that has an undisputed notoriety. Fortunately, we have Eddy Betty in the list. With a career that spanned almost two decades, this rare Indonesian couturier with a forward thinking mind not only solidifies his name with iconic designs, his talent now has branched to other out-of-the-box ideas that puts him several steps ahead from other so-called fashion leaders and up and coming nouveau designers. If you’re one of the few who is not familiar with Eddy Betty’s works, then look no further to an explanation from Muara Bagja, Indonesia’s leading fashion observer and long time friend to the designer. “He introduced the kebaya-bustier, sewn together in the seams of the torso, this style becomes a new innovation and gives new identity to the traditional style kebaya. It was then paired with a pair of tuxedo pants and a top hat.” Said Muara Bagja. He also mentions the attention to details that Eddy Betty always puts to his creations; an attention that’s second to none.

Giving another groundbreaking design, Eddy Betty has now launched edbe by Eddy Betty – a prêt-a-porter collection that focuses on the opposite side of his couture personality. Launched at the Mulia Hotel Jakarta on October 14, 2010, the runway was set to accommodate fifty seven sets of styles of edbe (pronounced as ed-dee-bee). Looking up to the Asiatic Japanese culture of fashion as the inspiration for edbe, the collection has a certain novelty that’s daring yet intricate enough for the 20-something crowd he intends this collection for. Reserved for those who dares to be different in their own unique way, edbe has been around for several years but was finally launched last week – a sort of birthday celebration that’s been a long time coming. The Japanese styles of Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garcons, Junya Watanabe, and even Yohji Yamamoto couldn’t be helped but be noticed in edbe’s style, the crossover was nationalized by the ever present batik that Eddy Betty waywardly took from different parts of Indonesia.

Although similar to the sometime uncanny style of Japan’s contemporary fashion, this was a way for Eddy Betty to open the minds of Indonesian consumers to look further from the boho-chic or even the faux-boho style that has been popularized by the hipster designer and brands occupying Grand Indonesia’s LevelOne Project. When asked if edbe is paralleled to said designers, his answer was clear and definite. “No, it’s not. edbe could be said as Eddy Betty Haute Couture’s 2.0 version, it’s still Eddy Betty but it’s watered down to something different. The personality of my previous line is obviously present in edbe and that’s what makes it different. ” he revealed. edbe was also created with a mindset that doesn’t stop to only just one gender in mind. Taking unisex to a whole new level, the collection was created for men, women, dandified men, to tomboyish ladies. Asymmetric patterns that meets draping silhouette, the use of rayon, denim and chambray convening with batik, Asiatic meeting Eddy Betty’s many fashion personality becomes what was known now as edbe.

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Even with the pouring rain and the puddles of mud, nothing seems to stop the enthusiasm of those who come to enjoy the true form of rock music at the Gudang Garam Java Rockin’ Land rock festival. The three day festival that was held at Carnaval Bay, Ancol had the who’s who of world rock – a jaw dropping list flown from coast to coast and landed in Jakarta to attend one of the most happening rock music festival in Indonesia. Another of Java Festival’s creation, the team that brought Indonesians the famed Java Jazz Festival and the SoulNation Festival the experience was one of a kind. I was simply thrilled to be in the midst of a great rockin’ experience.
Day One
As the first day approaches, the tingle of excitement that has been suspended inside of me crawl out bits by bits. Out of the 34 bands that perform on the first day, Datarock and The Smashing Pumpkins were truly the belle of the ball. Everyone whom I met at the venue had the same intention, and their intention were to watch both of the band performs. Datarock’s smash hit Fa-Fa-Fa and Smashing Pumpkin’s Try, try, try has been reverberating in my head. Raindrops couldn’t damper my mood because I’m donning an ensemble that’s essential for Java Rockin’ Land: rain boots and parkas.
Clueless at first, I found Datarock was playing at the Gudang Garam Interstage. The crowd screamed when the duo greeted them with a robotic sound. It was their first performance in Indonesia and without hesitation they simply told us that they are very proud to be able to play in the festival, let alone be the opening act of Smashing Pumpkins. Clad in matching red Adidas tracksuits, the Norwegian duo took the stage with their additional member. A spectacular performance is the words best to describe them. The duo showed their musical skills and their entertaining skills made the crowd jump in excitement. Everyone who’s there can see that they went all out on stage. Their song list that included ‘Fa-Fa-Fa’ , ‘Amarillion’, ‘I Used To Dance With My Daddy’, ‘Computer Camp Love’, and ‘Dance’ and each performance was better sung than the last. When it came to their last song, everyone in the crowd sang ‘I’ve Had the Time of My Life’ together. It shows how much of a success the show really was since everyone had a time of their lives.
The fun didn’t stop there because one of the most anticipated performances was performing next; The Smashing Pumpkins. Devoid of any niceties to the crowd, they took their set list head on. Sadly, their hit songs like ‘1979′, ‘Perfect’, ‘Try, Try, Try’ were absent and the crowd, including myself, was truly disappointed how they have skipped on fan favorites such as those. Although thoroughly entertaining, their contemporary songs fell nothing short of morose and it disappoints a few, if not all of their die-hard fans who have waited with bated breath. With a line up of songs that included ‘Today’, ‘A Song for a Son’, ‘Tonight, Tonight’, ‘Tarantula’, ‘United States’, and ‘Stand Inside Your Love’, I was hoping for more. Unsatisfied, the first day of Java Rockin’ Land ended on a sour note with the hopes of a better tomorrow.
Day Two
Day two is starting with a kick and everyone is looking for a great fun on their Saturday. Fading disappointments about the first day is slowly replaced by hype of Saturday’s line up. 32 bands that were scheduled to perform on the second day was not at all disappointing, if not long awaited. Dashboard Confessional, Arkarna and Stereophonics are the headlining crème of the crop.
Arriving with the sound of Ollie Jacobs, lead vocalist of Arkarna, reverberating on the air, I rushed to the Langit Music stage. ‘So Little Time’ had the most chorus followers from the concert goers – a definite fan favorite. Nostalgic as it is, the crowds sing along to the tune while remembering the days when the single first comes out. The setlist that includes the song ‘House Of Fire’, ‘Life Is Free’, and ‘So Little Time’ was played very well. It is not their first time performing in Jakarta, but Ollie Jacobs showed their appreciation by telling us that they are in love with our country. I can see from afar that even the puddle of mud won’t stop the crowd from enjoying the band. At this point, although I was ready with my rain boots, the sun was shining brightly and it was a good sign for the day’s festival.
Another special act of the day was Stereophonics. When Arkarna is still playing I can see the crowd is slowly filling the stage area where Stereophonics is performing and by the time Arkarna finished their act, the stage area is already half filled with people. I rushed my way to get to the front and to be able to get the best view. I have been waiting for this band and as I waited I realize I actually forgot their songs, it feels a bit weird. Led by Kelly Jones, Stereophonics played more than 10 very memorable songs such as ‘Maybe Tomorrow’, ‘Have A Nice Day’, ‘A Thousand Tree’, ‘Superman’, ‘Mr. Writer’, ‘Local Boy In Photograph’, and ‘Dakota’. Interaction between the crowd and the band is important to me, so the fact that Kelly Jones would let the crowd finish the lyrics to the songs are a well-played act. Stereophonics really did their homework.
The rock band from Wales ended the second day of the Java Rockin’ Land and with much satisfaction on every concert goers. It is time to recharge our batteries as we welcome the third and last day of Gudang Garam Java Rockin’ Land 2010. A new day awaits and a new list of performers is coming our way.

Day Three
With no rain in sight, mud puddles drying, and the sun shining, the last day of the Gudang Garam Java Rockin’ Land festival has begun. The Vines, Styper, Mutemath and Wolfmother will grace the stages and anticipations is already building. There was no denying how The Vines rocked everyone’s worlds. It was a tour de force performance that ended with front man Craig Nichols smashing his guitar as the song ‘Winning Days’ blared on stage.
Another act that was worth the wait was Wolfmother. When we arrived, their first song had already played. Without thinking, we ran to the stage area to join all the other spectators. As ‘Woman’ played, I was already jumping on my feet in excitement and tired from rushing at the same time. Gudang Garam Interstage crowd was hysteric when Andrew Stockdale, lead vocalist of Wolfmother personally told everyone that they almost canceled their trip to Jakarta and that when they heard someone sold their mobile phone for a ticket, they decided that coming was the best decision they made. Their set list that includes ‘White Feather’, ‘Woman’, ‘Apple Tree’, ‘Cosmic Egg’, and ‘Joker And A Thief’ was played full with energy by the band. It wasn’t at all difficult for the Australian band to entertain the audience in full blast of energy since it has been their signature through out the years they have been performing. They ended their performance with their hit single ‘Joker And A Thief’ that was performed after the audience chanted the encore plea. All of their performance was closed with such a hype that everyone talked about them on the way to another show by Stryper. Our team decided it would be best to walk along the venue while Stryper played on stage and listening to them from afar. We took snapshots of the people who attends and enjoy the last day of the festival as it’s coming to an end.
As we walk back to the car and drove home along with thousand other spectators, we can still hear people gushing the success Java Festival brings to the whole event. It was on time, entertaining, well managed, and very, very, very memorable. Java Rockin’ Land succeed to rock everyone’s weekend and still wanting for more. Well, maybe it’s a good thing to make everyone waiting for the next Java Rockin’ Land and hoping while crossing their finger that it will always be as successful as their previous. See you next year Java Rockin’ Land and keep rocking our weekend!!

How do you truly know a designer? Is it from their latest season’s collection? Does a one-on-one interview actually showcase what they’re really like behind the seams? For those in-the-know, New York has always been characterized as the hip capital of fashion, while London always brings in the edge and daring, Milan takes home the prize for most glamorous and Paris as the undeniably exquisite side of fashion with its combination haute couture and the prêt-a-porter. From the latest runways of the Spring/Summer 2011 New York Fashion Week, one gets to be exposed to how a designer represents themselves as an artisan of fashion and as the person behind the label.

Sometimes as fashion observers, we overlook beyond the grand finale – always gluing our eyes to the collection itself and nothing more. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be informed on next season’s hottest styles or more coveted clothes, but like avid cinephiles who often times sits until the very end of the end credits, hard core fashion fans should also stay until the last picture is taken of the designers walking down the runway to take their appreciative bows to those who have come to the show. Who could not miss Betsey Johnson at the end of her every runway shows? The cartwheel flips that she always does are the stuff of fashion history. This proves that at 68 years young, her lively spirit is still as alive as ever before. In all of his shows – which spans from the BCBG Max Azria line, Herve Lerge line, Max Azria, and many more, Max Azria always comes out at the end of his runway with Lubov Azria, wife and the chief creative officer for the BCBGMAXAZRIAGROUP. This time around, Diane von Fustenberg walked hip to hip next to Diane von Furstenberg’s Creative Director Ivan Mispelaere. Other design duos like Mark Badgley and James Mischka, Dan and Dean Caten for DSquared, and Richie Rich and Travis Rains of Heatherette have all walked down the finale of their runway together. Some designers brought forth their muses and others brought their family members.

Notable walks done by designers at the recent New York Fashion Week on their finale bows were Richie Rich, at his Richie Rich Spring 2011 event. Ellen DeGeneres strutted her stuff next to the designer in a quintessential Ellen attitude – funny and fashionable at the same time. Project Runway alumni, Christian Siriano who has made a name of his own through his fabulous work, did wave reminiscences of Snow White’s Bashful, meanwhile designers and siblings Nicholas and Christopher Kunz came out with their dog at the end of their show. Soloists like Zac Posen, Prabal Gurung, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Donna Karan, Monique Lhuillier, Jeremy Scott, Ralph Lauren and Georges Chakra are only the handful of names that also works as their own best advertisers – “working it” while being the recognizable faces that they are and flaunting their styles to best represent what their brand is all about. At the end of the day, this would be a good lesson for all future designers whose aspirations is an international runway stage in fashion – you are how you walk. [Images courtesy of Image.net]