...the reverse side of beauty..//..Mantified

Yes, I will admit over again that I have fallen in love with the GazettE because of the Neo Genesis magazine cover. But in my first entry about the group, I don't think I was specific enough on why I liked them (other than using the words hawt and seksi as description). I suppose that at the time, I was still feeling the after effects of designing menswear from the previous term - and after receiving a pile of old Japanese male fashion magazines, I've rediscovered the joys of looking at male idols with the spirit of a young teenager, which I haven't done for nearly 10 years. In my opinion, the celebrity value from the west has been going downhill during this time, especially as I didn't even fancy Brad Pitt, Daniel Radcliff (Harry Potter - he's gotten better looking in the recent years, but definitely doesn't get my blood rushing), and I have to ask myself why the hell would anybody even want to look at Pete Doherty. If it wasn't about drugs, it was about some womanizing stuff. I've decided to stop looking at famous men altogether. And Hong Kong singers are just wannabes.

But KAT-TUN came along in my sight in 2007, but I didn't really pick up on their stuff back then, other than noting that they're ridiculously talented dancers. To the point where they're the only group to play 7 consecutive shows in a row at Tokyo Dome, which is a record for Japan. I didn't touch much on KAT-TUN again until December last year, when I started doing my research on menswear to start preparations for menswear designs. That was the moment when I remembered that Japanese fashion should be looked into if I didn't want to do European style suits like Armani, which, to me, are meant for men in their 30s rather than their 20s. I wanted to design something hip, so I started looking for KAT-TUN items, ranging from buying their music and concerts to looking up their images online and watching music videos. I think that was the moment when I found my way back to admiring men once again.

And I wasn't wrong. The KAT-TUN boys wore things like loads of feathers combined with embroidery, sequins, and weird cuts with lots of accessories. It was almost like looking at human Christmas trees. The songs, videos, outfits and dance routines that were put together were simply amazing. I think only Japanese people could do such cool combos. Even things like black nail polish, reshaped eyebrows and big dangly earrings were normal. Add all that together and you get 6 androgynous men running the show.

When I first presented the idea to my teacher, she said it was all "too much". I could still remember that day with a bittersweet taste in my mouth. Imagine being really enthusiastic about the design to the point where you could start making the outfit straight away just to have that bubble popped in that one millisecond. I was disappointed that I had to modify the design at the time, but in the end, I at least managed to prove them wrong that sequins and feathers can still go together. (And I made an average looking guy into one hot male model.)

And the holidays came once again. I had a feeling of loss when I didn't need to focus on menswear anymore. Even when searching for magazines, nothing decent came up. That was until when I walked into a CD store and spotted the magazine.



Indeed, it was a mainly black, white and red cover that spelled hard metal rock (which I'm not a major fan of except for some stuff from Garbage, Linkin' Park and Marilyn Manson). But when you look closely, the poses, details of the outfits, menacing looks and make up all add up into some form of androgynous silent fierceness. When you see a cover like that, you know that the inside would be filled with Japanese fashion that can be used for future reference. Flipping through the magazine in the comforts of the home couch, I was almost drooling at the GazettE's photoshoot. But when I looked further into the magazine, there weren't any more groups that were as well dressed or presented as the cover boys. At that moment, I knew I had to look into their music. Lucky for me, the song Distress and Coma was released only a few days before so I was able to see clearly what they were wearing in the music video. It was rock alright, but a softer, electrical, mysteriously menacing tune filled with raging emotion that could pierce right through you. I think it's partly due to Ruki's deep voice that added the sex appeal. But overall, the video really did it: the dirty, crazy and distressed ballerina, the dark dingy rooms, the black and white settings, Ruki's dark vampire red wine coloured outfit with lace gloves, blonde hair and yellow (I think?) contacts, the fire raging through in the final leg, snow flakes falling... And Ruki's "oyasumi" (meaning "goodnight") completed the full seduction before blowing fully into the final chorus.

So I'm now really using the group as one of my current main sources of inspiration. I actually want to copy their make up, hair style and outfits and add them to my design. Even my classmates now have noticed that I've been adding a lot of punk rock style into the way I dress recently.

I've talked enough for now, I desperately need sleep. But before I go, here are some eye candy.

This photo is taken when the group released Leech last year. A song that I'm not particularly fond of, but the PVC certainly makes a statement.



I don't know what song was released with this look, but Ruki looks a bit like a pimp with the aviator sunglasses and silver suit. The others still look really cool though.



And finally, one of my favourites from the group, Cassis. This is actually a love song and if the English translation of the lyrics are accurate, it's a truly beautifully written song. And the best thing I like about it? It's not cheesy - like...Boyzone pop cheesy.


The GazettE - Cassis with English subtitles -

Btw, I've fixed the video for Distress and Coma. Youtube is busy being ghey and I can only access imeem at the moment. Thank goodness I've got a new entertainment source!

Oyasumi.