CHATTING WITH MARISA MU

Where functionality, craftsmanship and original design meet, you will find Marisa Mu's vibrant and mesmerising bags and clutches. The thoughtful Sydney-based designer packs careful handiwork and unique technique into each item, using a studio-based process to create each 100% Italian cowhide piece. Having collaborated with a number of creatives and working in Melbourne Fashion Week, Marisa's journey is one to pay close attention to.

Tell us about your background in design and how you first became inspired to start your line;

I always knew I wanted to be an artist when I was a little girl but wasn't sure what creative direction I would eventually undertake. After finishing high school, I was adamant I wanted to be working within the textiles industry and after studying a degree within Design at COFA - my love for pattern design and working with the tactile quality of leather became a true obsession. That was a turning point for me when I made the connection between the love I have for colourful abstract patterning and the unique nature of leather skin. Playing with colours and textures and the changing nature of leather is what inspired me to undergo my current practice of creating unique colourful leather goods that are proudly Australian-made. I also knew from a young age that I was not going to be the type of person that could live a life of routine where I worked in an office doing the 9-5 for the next 40 or so years. Starting my creative practice enabled me to channel my energies into something that was giving me a sense of purpose and fed my creative soul and sanity. I see creativity and art as a therapeutic practice for me and I have overcome plenty of personal hardships because I turned to what I love most - creating art. I believe too many of us don't take that leap of committing to do something for ourselves - that is the core underlying reason behind why I decided to just bite the bullet and start my own line. 

Your designs are quite a playful take on elements like shape, texture and colour - tell us about your creative process, and how your designs manifest; 

My creative process is very organic and revolves predominantly around colour. The power of colour and the way in which hues and contrasting colours create an abstract wonderland is what I strive to achieve within my work. I chase the feeling of knowing I have created a wonderful colour combination and then allow the colours to bleed within one another and create their own special story. Working with leather is amazing as the skin itself had its own story - a past life that is now undergoing the process of becoming recreated and then forwarded to a new forever home. I use premium Italian cowhide and the beautiful textures make for a perfect contrasting canvas for the fluid aesthetic of the patterns. It is about creating sentimental pieces that hold layers of beauty and wonder.

Is there a specific piece from your collection that is your own personal favourite? 

I go through phases and each design has held title of 'favourite' at some point. I am currently in the 'Smokey Camo' phase as the colours are a bit more muted from the usual bright and bold patterns. It's understated but still very much a statement piece. I will be releasing this pattern as a Bucket Bag style by the end of the week which is very exciting!

You place a particular emphasis on functionality and practicality as well as style in your products; tell us about your vision to incorporate both aspects in your work;

Leather goods are seen as a long lasting investment. They stand the test of time due to the tactile and durable quality of being a skin - the colourful artworks are a reflection of how I perceive what is around me - colourful beauty. I want to implement my love for colour and pattern with simple silhouettes and bags that hold your daily essentials. I want to keep the bags simple and to not be excessive - it is about being a canvas for the artworks that we integrate within our daily lives. I strive to create long lasting works of art that we choose to carry with us. Something that brightens our days but also hold a key role of protecting and holding our valuables. It is a simple vision but a deeply soulful one. 

If your label was a song - which song would it be? 

It would be 'True Colours' by Kasey Chambers. I believe the spirit of my brand revolves around being someone that is individual, strong minded and colourful. I want my brand to be an embodiment of who I am and to empower others to be a statement maker within their everyday. To show your true colours, and to not be afraid to do so. 

CHATTING WITH JOANNE T.

Jewellery design grad Jo Tan has taken the internet by storm with her refreshing, tribal-influenced take on nose jewellery. I was lucky enough to chat with Jo about her label Joanne T.  to find out more about the fascinating Central Saint Martins graduate and her intriguing debut collection.

Tell us a bit about your artistic background, where you’re currently based, and how you came to work with jewellery.

I graduated from Central Saint Martins, London last summer. Currently I am based in Malaysia. Since [I was] young, I have always been interested in objects that interact with the human body and I believe art and design are one of the ways that I could express myself without any restriction. During my year in Foundation studies, I was allowed to try out different design pathways. Jewellery design is among one of the subjects that I tried out and I found that I enjoy craftsmanship. Thus, I decided to pursue this field. 

Your graduate collection’s title, “Not Your Average Beauty”, lends itself to ideas regarding identity and the value we place on beauty conventions - tell us about the thematic direction of your work, and what you most would want the public to take away from your work.

My works are concept driven and my design development uses a topical approach. My design revolves around the idea of "In jewellery I ensure dialogue". Using minimal and subtle design, I create visual impacts, conversation and interaction through or with jewellery. 

Your nose cuffs have garnered considerable attention on the internet, and were covered by Vogue France. What was your design process like for these avant-garde pieces, and what motivated the idea behind your elaborate take on nose jewellery in particular?

While I was working on the collection, I was interested in the topic of beauty and plastic surgery. I notice that it is a huge trend, especially in Asia where I come from. This then made me start to research plastic surgery and experiment with different structures and shapes that could be placed on the face. The nose was chosen because it is one of the most common facial [features] for plastic surgery. Thus, the creation of nose pieces emerged.

How important has social media and an online presence been for you to establish your name in jewellery - or in wider terms, fashion?

Both social media and an online presence have really helped me in exposing my works to any possible audience out there, since information can be easily accessed and spread through the internet these days. 

You incorporate classic stones, diamonds and pearls into your pieces. What was your process like in sourcing quality materials and elements to put together your creations?

When it came to sourcing materials and elements for the creations, I spent time in both research and talking/meeting people from the jewellery industry to gain information and knowledge. The opportunity to study in London and travelling around different parts of the world have also allowed me to gain relevant information and knowledge in material sourcing.

Tell us about where you see yourself moving forward from here - continuing jewellery, or maybe expanding into other areas?

Currently, I am working on developing my own brand and establishing a client base. I look forward to collaboration opportunities with people from a different design background. Jewellery would be the core in my design career, however, I am always open to any new opportunities. 

Photographer: Zhonglin
Stylist: Yii
MUA: Alicia
Model: Andrea B

2017 ACTION PLAN - NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

New Years Resolutions can be seriously underrated, because when they're done right, they're nothing to laugh about - I started 2016 with 3 main goals I wanted to achieve in the year, and found myself pleasantly surprised by September when I stumbled across the list and realised I had already ticked all of them off. Although you've probably heard a lot of underwhelming statistics - "Only 10% of people achieve their New Year's Resolutions" - it's up to you at the end of the day to make sure you belong in that 10%.

There are two keys to making shit happen - motivation and willpower - that drive your resilience and consequent success. But it comes down to your habits and daily rituals for you to see those successes through. To best prep yourself for 2017, I've put together my own New Years Resolutions 2017 Action Plan for you to follow. After spending the past year pouring over self-help worksheets and researching this kind of thing, I hope I've been able to come up with a schema that might help you as much as it helped me.

GOALS
Decide on 3 GOALS (too many more than three will be overwhelming, but up to five can work). Your goals can fall into whatever category you like - for instance, if you feel like your Personal/Self area of life needs more attention, most of them might fall into that category. Otherwise, come up with a goal for each of the following:

Personal/Self
IDEAS
- Meditate for 10 minutes every morning
- Put in volunteer hours for a charity or cause I feel passionate about
- Learn a new instrument or language

Career/School
IDEAS
- Get Distinctions or High Distinctions in all my classes
- Apply for exchange to study abroad
- Get a job that is more closely in line with my envisioned career pathway

Financial
IDEAS
- Buy a new car
- Invest in my first home or property
- Implement a weekly budget strategy to help me save money 

The idea is to ensure all your goals are SMART -

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Timely

So "Buy a new car" turns into "Buy a new Mazda 3 by September this year by working at least one part time job alongside my uni commitments". This technique means that your goal will become far less abstract as you are specifying the details (none of that ambiguous "In 2017 I will be more healthy!" bullcrap), and will force you to really reflect on your current situation and what you might have to change to achieve your desired end goal. Ironing out all the creases, so to speak, means that you won't have any excuses to give yourself half way through the year regarding why you haven't been able to make leeway on your journey. 

Courtesy of my blossoming addiction to Kikki K. products

WHY?
Pair every goal with a few sentences answering the question -
Why do you want to achieve it?
Reinforcing the motivation behind these goals can help you better understand yourself, and will allow you to appreciate the values that make you who you are. Self-awareness is rad, and will support you immensely on your journey.

STEP BY STEP
Here is your 5 Step Action Plan, where you turn those goals into logistical steps that you can take in order to achieve your dreams.

This is where everything suddenly becomes realistic, which is often the most exciting part. What are all the steps you will have to take to reach your final destination? Here's an example;

GOAL: Travel across Europe for a month in June-July period

1. Save 7k in the bank
2. Book return int'l flights
3. Book internal transport and accomm
4. Get travel card and travel SIM card
5. Document travels on my blog

TIMELINE
Sounds a lot less intimidating than "deadline", doesn't it? I believe a huge factor in failing to meet our New Years Resolutions comes down to cracking under the pressure of an ever-impending December 31st deadline. Elect a date for each step within each goal to check in with yourself and monitor your progress. If your Action Plan isn't completed by the end of the year, worry not - re-plan and let your goal-achieving roll into the New Year. 

Life isn't a series of stop-start achievements, or moments of have or have-not - we're constantly growing and changing, and our trials and errors are perhaps the most authentic aspect of our human condition. So go easy on yourself - you're gonna do great, pal. 

ALCATRAZ ER

Not many restaurants force you to clear your throat and loudly say "Pussy" to place your order, and not many restaurants have you dining in cramped prison cells. Then again, not many restaurants are like Alcatraz ER.

Thanks to a viral video, the restaurant has become known to travellers, foodies and lovers of all things eccentric across the globe - and, being someone who I'd like to think fits into all three of those categories, it was a place I was absolutely not going to miss. 

Even the detail in the waiting area was up to par - once we tracked down the restaurant in the second story of a Shibuya building, warning signs flashed and the graffiti across the dilapidated concrete walls was telling. Alcatraz ER is a themed restaurant like so many in Japan, but it's eerie commitment to it's unique concept - a medical prison, or mental asylum - is what made it unforgettable.

The wait was thankfully short, and our charismatic host led us through the restaurant, greeting us with the characteristic Japanese welcome ("Irashaimase!") before gesturing towards tiny cramped staircases that led to our cell. We sat on the floor cross-legged behind metal bars, and our metal table clanged as we worked out how exactly to arrange our limbs without knocking ourselves out against the low-hanging industrial lights. To order, there was a metal pole chained to the bars - and like the prisoners we now were, we had to use it to bang against the bars to get a waiters' attention. The menu? Something else entirely.

Fried rice boobs, beef pussy, you name it. The drinks were the real appeal though - their signature cocktails with dildo stirrers and IV blood bags were standout favourites, but my used-condom cocktail won out - the presentation and the way it was made in front of us complete with "semen" dripping out of the condom (hmm) was mind-blowingly unlike anything I could have expected.

Then came the crowning jewel - dessert.

How could I not have ordered this exquisite delicacy? As soon as I set eyes on it months ago, eyes glued to my laptop screen, I knew I had to have it. 

If you've got the guts to go and experience Alcatraz ER, make sure it's something you don't miss.

THE FIRST 3 THINGS YOU NOTICE ABOUT JAPAN

There's nothing quite like the fresh feeling of stepping foot in a country you've never been to before. Ah, the sweet scent of a new Enlightening Experience™ on the horizon. Although I'm back in Melbourne now, there were some particularly interesting quirks of modern Japanese life that have remained stuck in my curiosity since my return.

1) They have a thing with rubbish

Rubbish bins around town are really scarce, so don't expect to find them lining the streets. Get into the habit of carrying small plastic bags in your day pack to have somewhere to stash your rubbish and take it with you - carrying around rubbish openly is generally frowned upon. Of course, so is eating casually as you walk down the street - so if you're being polite, chances are this won't affect you too much.

In Japan, there are strict rules when it comes to categorising your rubbish too. Often, you're required to separate your waste into one of (typically) five categories. The keenness to dispose of waste thoughtfully in Japan is refreshing and quite honestly, a great way to force some perspective about our own waste habits back home. 

2) Holy shit, the toilets (pun intended? You decide)

There's always been the stereotype about Tokyo as "Future City", but you really feel the full weight of that phrase when you need to take a leak. In-built bidets with controllable water pressure, seat heaters, sometimes more buttons and settings than a TV remote - but the speaker with your own personal waterfall sounds to give you privacy while you relieve yourself has to be the pièce de résistance (this also seems to have the double-use of encouraging your own "flow"). Really makes you appreciate your time with Mother Nature, I'll tell ya that.

3) Convenience Stores really live up to their name

Honestly, I'm damn near certain there is nothing more reliable than a Japanese 7/11. Manga? 7/11. Noodle dishes and full bento boxes? 7/11. Alcohol? (It's legal to drink in public here, do what you will with that information...)

Australian 7/11s are pitiable in comparison, no doubt about it - time for us to step up our game, IMHO.

More on Japan to come, of course - stay tuned, angels.