2010年9月9日 NYのアジア・ソサエティー（Asia Society）にて開催された「TOKYO! LOOK!」というトークショーに、TOKYODANDYからダン・ベイリー（Dan Bailey）が参加。内容としては、タイトルにもある通り「TOKYO! LOOK!」と題されたタイトルをテーマにプレゼンテーションが行われたのだ。他には、会場、オーディエンスからの質問タイム。などと、「東京」というワードをキーワードに「原宿」「TOKYODANDYの活動内容」といった東京ならではのことについて語っていたとか。要するに東京・原宿で今何が起こっているのか。東京のストリートファッションとハイファッションの違い。そして、クレイジーな東京のパーティーシーンなどなど。
それはさておき、こういったかたちでNYにくることができ、沢山の人々に出会うことができとても感謝しています。特に、「US NYLON」誌より代表で来ていたニコール・ミハレク（Nicole Michalek）（右隣女性）との出会い。ありがとうございます。Big thanks to Taeko-san and Kojima san.「NEW YORK-TOKYO」
世界16ヵ国で一斉に開催された「VOGUE FASHION NIGHT OUT JAPAN」のため、NYFWには参加できなかったが、自分にとってとても良い経験になりました。また、話は変わりますが、日本のネオ・ポップを代表するアーティスト奈良美智の大個展が2010年9月9日よりアジア・ソサエティにて開催されている。素顔、絵画、彫刻と全100点を超える作品が過去20年の作家活動の全体像が紹介されている。MORE INFO HERE.
Last week I was invited to New York to speak at the Asia Society for their ‘Tokyo Look’ event. Basically, it was to introduce and discuss what’s really happening on the Tokyo scene in which we live. It’s a far cry from the Gothic-lolita/cos-play image often portrayed overseas and the event gave me the opportunity to introduce the people I take photos of and who make Tokyo such an interesting place to live. It was kind of strange thinking of my friends from an out-siders perspective, but I felt confident in representing a group of people that I love and respect. It was a little surreal being a boy from Yorkshire standing in front of a couple of hundred people in New York discussing my life in Tokyo. But Tokyo Is here for the taking and I am so happy to be living right here, right now.
Also speaking at the event was Kawamura-san from the Fashion Institute of Technology who have their own Japan orientated events coming up soon. Kawamura-san and the audience asked questions at the end of the evening, and I met a lot of nice people, especially Nylon’s Nicole Michalek who made sure the event ran smoothly. Big thanks to Taeko-san And Kojima-san for inviting me to speak, they run the company NEW YORK-TOKYO which encourages cultural exchange between the two mega-cities.
I didn’t have chance to do anything for NYFW, I had to be back in Tokyo for Vogues Fashion night out on Saturday evening which meant an early flight Friday morning. I only had a few hours in The Kitano Hotel which was just down the road from The Asia Society on Park Avenue where the event was held. Yoshitomo Nara has a solo exhibition there at the moment, his ‘Ghost’ sculpture stands outside. New York is still a Frank Sinatra song and movie set to me so I was happy to wander around for a couple of days before the event as a tourist and take a few photos of New York (above), I know that Tokyo Dandy will be spending a lot more time their in the future.