Gareth Pugh, I love you!

I am fascinated by avant-garde fashion, but there are only a number of avant-garde designers that I really like. Gareth Pugh is one of them. For his S/S 2009 collection, he chose to use black and white as his color palette. I love his concept of using the past as reference for the future. You know a designer is talented if he/she can make black and white that captivating.

I love this dress, but if Queen Elizabeth I was caught wearing this, she would be called a skank. I actually think this dress could've done without the ruff because it already has so much texture to it. I love the two toned fabric scales, but I would love this dress if they mixed them together. That could be quite sellable.

Unlike the dress at first that could've done without the ruff, it's the main feature to this dress. Here, the ruff looks like wings, which I find to be ingenious. I wonder how long it took to make that.

I love this dress because it's got a hard and soft feel to it. It's got a structured top and flowy bottom, which creates a beautiful and classic silhouette. I also think the chevron texture at the top is a much needed touch to this dress.

This is probably the most street-friendly piece from the collection. It drapes beautifully and looks very modern. Some would even call it the holy grail of all hoodies.

When I look at this dress, the first thing that comes to mind is an armadillo. The scales are layer upon layer, creating a very armored effect. Also, it's funny to think that armadillos can be sexy, but he did it.

This is proabably the most avant-garde piece from his collection. If you wear this on the street, people would think you were headed to a convention or something. The look is very Samurai meets Transformers.

Courtesy of Style

I usually abhor athletic apparel, but I absolutely love Duckie Brown S/S 2009.

I'm sure Steven Cox and Daniel Silver, the designers for Duckie Brown, have a ton of fun designing; you could see it in the clothes. In the past few seasons of Duckie Brown, it has grown to be one of my favorite menswear labels. The clothes are usually very colorful, but it makes sense because it'll overwhelm the designs.

To me, Prince Charming dresses like this. Unfortunately, a lot of men have not caught onto this look yet, so it looks like I'll be single for a while. Yes, everything is loose, but not sloppy.

So the sweater is a little too bulky for my liking, but I do love the color combination of the stripes. And look at those basketball shorts...the pores are humongous! I remember dreading wearing these ugly things during P.E. class, but now I actually want a pair. Here's my question: "Do you have to wear them with tights?" It seems a little risque if you don't.

I love the sweater! It has a very post-apocalyptic edge to it with the circles and everything. I could see myself going skiing in this getup.

After the shorts, you have the jacket. If you wear this with a crisp white (or any bright color) shirt underneath, you'll stand out through the gigantic pores in a crowd of boring black blazers.

So this look is a little out there with the length of the shirt, but in a way, it works. Otherwise, it'd be boring. It's a good mixture of hard and soft in menswear that is mostly found only in womenswear.

Courtesy of Style

If you're planning to go to the desert, go with Bed|Stü.

I love the American Southwest influence on fashion because it's so vintage without being vintage. Now, I'm not talking about the kitschy Country Western baloney. I'm talking about the rich Mexican colors, organic homemade feel, and Native American folk art. And if you're going for the whole Bohemian thing, you'll have a lot of fun.

Archie $85.00

I find most denim bags a bit displaced (and quite tacky) for the most part, but this bag is pretty nice. Compared to the bad 90s denim bag trend, this bag works because it's not that ugly light blue jean color. It's a good wash with a nice green tint. We can bring this trend back if we do it right.

Iwo Jima $200.00

There are tons of chukka boots out in the market. the problem is, most of them are too generic and uninteresting. I like this one because there's a nice rawness to it and it's also not in suede. Oh, and the subtle contrast stitching is just right.

Novello $150.00

Okay, so the shoe itself is nothing to brag about, the strap on the back does it for me. Vintage innovation always gets me. I would totally get this if the shoe came in a rounded toe.

Boho $34.00

At 34 bucks, this is a pretty nice belt. I love the contrast of the rusty red and the antiquated nickle with the cute little sun. It's very hippie-ish and I want it.

Bowie $32.00

This wallet looks like a Native American artifact due to the white stitching. It's simple, but very nice. My current wallet is quite battered up, so I might just get this ($32.00 for this isn't too bad).

Courtesy of Bed|Stü

Thomas Paul is the Prince of Prints.

Textile Designer Thomas Paul has created some of the most insightful prints I've ever seen. He really pays attention to little details in ordinary things and basically magnifies them or puts them in a different light. There is nothing I've seen that I did not like.

Souk Rug Round $1082.00

I like this rug because it's kind of microscopic with the off-cropping. It looks like you're examining some kind of Indian patterned silk closely.

Ship Jute Tote $40.00

I love the whole Moby Dick collection, but they only have this one in tote form. I think it's a very "smart" bag because it'll shown people that you don't only know fashion, you know literature too. That's something I struggle with in the fashion industry.

Sarah Beet Pillow 18" $94.00

Nouveau Art has always fascinated me, even though it seems to get a bit cliche after a while. This pillow in particular draws me in because of the rich beet color and the intricate details used to make the print. Oh, and the pillow is reversible.

Gothic Plate (set of 4) $28.00

Melamine plates are fun to play around with if posters are not 3-dimensional enough. This collection is an interesting array of silhouettes. I've been reading a lot about the Mormons lately, and this figure is beginning to look a lot like Joseph Smith to me. LOL.

Hong Kong Garden Plate (set of 4) $28.00

Now this is what I call genius. He basically took something as delicate as Chinese porcelain and gave it a new twist. Ironically, I wish there were less melamine and ceramic products lying around because in the long-run, they are not biodegradable. So as much a I like this, the bigger picture concerns me.

Courtesy of Thomas Paul

Is Armand Basi One a good throwback?

We saw many disasters in fashion during the 1980s, so would going back to it push fashion forward? I actually think so. People had lot of great ideas and experimented with new styles, but the execution went a bit overboard. If we ever get the chance to tap into this weird era in fashion, now is definitely the time. I mean, Armand Basi One has made the 80s silhouette cool again.

Perhaps this dress is a little galactic with the wings, but that gray really grounds the whole look. In a way, you need the wings because without them, it'd just be a dress.

I'd say this look is the epitome of the 80s: neon and parachute pants. I'm not sure how the pants would look like without the movement (probably not as good). However, I think this is a very good modern interpretation made possible by using softer colors. Oh, and I like the shoes too.

This dress is gorgeous because of its simplicity. It'd be a great evening dress, but maybe not so much for bigger-breasted women. This dress is a good opportunity for smaller-chested women to flaunt themselves.

On a personal level, this my favorite look because it's hilarious (even without the mask). The dress shows a lot of skin, but ironically, I don't find it vulgar. I guess if you want to play it a little safe, wear some black tights and you're good to go; I still like it the way it is.

The different textures of black really makes this black dress stand out. The skirt is a bit avant-garde, but the the floating top cover and the sheer bottom reminds me of a cupcake.

It's like having x-ray vision with the top. Though I do think the pants are cool, I would like to have seen this on a more casual model; a black tank top and jeans would've been perfect.

Courtesy of Style

This is my Fashion Inspiration Board.

I think I've drawn from a lot of good sources:

• Philadelphia sunset
• La Nouvelle Vague
• Toile de jouy
• Amelia Earhart
• Jazz Age
• Floaty puffs
• Urban residential
• Cafe life
• Umbrellas
• Interesting tartans
• Neon lights
• License plates

If anything, I love adventure, and I really believe Amelia Earhart embodied that, not only in her personal style, but her legacy s well. I would love to travel more, but since I really can't right now, the license plates will do. I love the glamorous days of the Roaring 20s and would like to have been part of the partying. I think cafes are great places to meet people to exchange ideas about life. My meditation is basically walking in residential areas of the city during the afternoon. I love the whimsical things in life and would like to believe that romanticism still exists. I'm drawn to Asian-inspired things because I'm Asian. I love watching movies from the 1960s and find inspiration in their way of dress. I'm inspired by vintage fashions and coming up with ways to transform them into something modern. This board reflects my personal style, but it doesn't begin to cover everything I like because I'm sure you guys would be bored if I never talked about anything new; I would be too.

I have a very random hat collection,

but they are absolute necessities for bad hair days, keeping anonymity, and completing a look. I try to keep the color of my hats neutral because I want them to be versatile enough to coordinate with my mood and the season. Now all I need is a fedora, bowler, or maybe a crown. (Oh, and the glass head I'm using as a mannequin is the same one I was talking about from Pier 1).

Marc by Marc Jacobs Mushroom Hat $18.00

This is the most expensive hat I own because it's "designer." That being said, I got it because I liked the shape, not to mention I had store credit after returning a bad purchase. What I don't like is that it's made of acrylic, which is pretty bad for the environment and I have to dry-clean it.

H&M Beret $6.99

I've always wanted a beret but had no reason to wear one because it seemed too pretentious for someone like me. But I ended up getting it because I wanted to be a Beatnik for Halloween and the beret was the most important piece of the costume. Unlike the Marc Jacobs hat, this is actually made of 100% wool. I found it in the women's section at H&M because there were no berets for men. The only real problem I have with it is because it's a woman's piece, it doesn't fit my head that well.

Juno Beanie Free

I got this beanie when I worked at Blockbuster. Basically, if you bought a copy of "Juno," you'd get this beanie as a gift. I have never worn this beanie in public before because even though I like the movie, I don't like it enough to advertise.

Dockers Bucket Hat $8.00

This is my favorite hat because I feel a sense of comfort when I wear it, even on the worst of days. Although a lot of people tell me I look like a fisherman in this hat, it has given me an identity in a culture of conformity. People just don't see it the way i do.

H&M Newsboy Cap $5.50

It's important to have a go-to hat because you never really know what life throws at you. This is one of those hats that you can never really go wrong in, which is why I wear it almost everyday.