Windhill Journal

a fashion writer's fantasy musings

A commentary on Adam Robinson-Yu’s A Short Hike

All gifs via A Short Hike

In my quest to find something to unwind with post the bulbous open world of Guerilla Games’ Horizon Forbidden West, which held my attention for 80+ hours, I needed a compact experience. Open world games tend to regularly find their way into my gaming habits, with Ghost of Tsushima (2020) and Final Fantasy XV (2016) being two of my more recent blockbuster experiences. A vast, hand-crafted AAA open world is only as interesting as its foundations, in my opinion. And in Forbidden West, though teeming with things to do and collect, the excessive sci-fi story exposition found me rushing the final few main quests just to cap the thing off. Ultimately, the magic of the open world waxed and waned, never to be as interesting as it was at first glance.

My parents own a trailer that’s parked in nowhere North Ontario, shrouded from city life by a quiet lake and the Canadian wilderness. They’ve been hounding me on our family WhatsApp group chat to visit, for months. Like many second generation millennial immigrants, any desire for extended family time evaporated during the 20+ years of sharing a personal space. But a weekend fortuitously freed up in my schedule, and no videogame was on deck to distract my wandering mind. After much insistence, I was roped into an admittedly relaxing family trip to said trailer. Three days of sitting in early summer forests does a soul good. It was the perfect weekend of daytime Latin jams, mid-afternoon small town crawls, and evening bonfires, beers and bong hits. A sweet, sweet break from the sheer amount of sci-fi possibilities in Horizon Forbidden West.

Inspired by nature’s R&R, I purchased Adam Robinson-Yu’s indie open world A Short Hike; in the wheelhouse of the open-world but nowhere as staggering as Forbidden West. Something resonated so intrinsically for me with this hours-long experience. Modelled after the Canadian wilderness and set in the fictional Hawkpeak Provincial Park, A Short Hike encourages players to stop and smell the flowers in its world. Not for skill points in a progression system, and not for in-game currency for uninteresting rewards. The free form nature of the game validates activities the player will encounter through their journey – be it collecting shells for a sassy bird-child, helping a local artist recognize their talent, or playing a round of Beachstickball. Through Robinson-Yu’s quaint, N64/16-bit presentation and text message style NPC dialogue, I’m drawn in and emotionally invested in this little world. It’s no 80-hour romp, the stakes of the world at your fingertips, but feels more akin to quality time with my family in the Ontario wilds – a spiritual refresh that will stand out in memory for years to come.

And the music! Mark Sparling immaculately captures the friendliness and coziness of Hawkpeak Provincial. The soundtrack paints my recent morning hazelnut lattes on my balcony as thoughtful exercises in reflection, to great effect. The main motif in “Beach Buds” and “Hello” tug so strongly at my heartstrings that slotting them delicately into a brooding nighttime playlist could certainly make me weep. Every track within the game ebbs and flows into each other as the player navigates through different zones in-game, but the atmosphere remains relaxed and unassuming. It’s a pleasant soundscape for some quick, happy lo-fi vibes.

A Short Hike‘s message parallels my personal ethos: enjoying every moment, seeing the joy in each moment. It comes with years of practicing gratefulness. We as working millenial adults are so trapped behind the wall of tasks, goals and circumstances, it is easy to forget everything else going on around us. I am easily victim to this, in my personal life but also in my enjoyment of my video game hobby. Relationships and personal introspection is tossed to the wayside in favour of a checklist or a shift, or a mundane gaming experience. It is like we’re constantly chasing that main quest, as pressing it may seem. But sometimes, a short side quest is enough to keep joy in rotation within our busy lives. My short hikes, both in the real Canadian wilderness and with Adam Robinson-Yu’s world, reminds me to slow down and enjoy the time as it goes by – there is no hurry, so no need to worry.

Additional reading:

“Interview with A Short Hike Creator Adam Robinson-Yu” for Canadian Game Devs

“A review of Charles Lu, collection [1.]” for Windhill Journal

Jay De Belen

June 21, 2022
A shopping guide on GANNI

All images via GANNI

For someone who’s spent the better part of their career bouncing from retail brand to retail brand, the aspirational marketing force of a new clothing store opening in my local shopping mall still exhilarates me. Brings me back to my high school shopping extracurricular. Sartorial curiosity often get the best of me, but my dearest friend scoring a position at the Toronto flagship of Danish fashion brand GANNI genuinely piques curiosity.

At first glance, Copenhagen-based GANNI is heavily women’s ready to wear, leaning towards a youthful neon palette and general sense of upscale whimsy, recalling the playfulness of Copenhagen Fashion Weeks. Feminine, frilly and flouncy, the pieces could suit styles anywhere in between the suburban couture-hungry to the sensible, fashionable cosplayer. Imagine COS and Moschino jumping into a blender, with Kate Spade accessories in tow. I consider myself a more fashion-forward person, or at least more fashion-educated, than the typical, but many of these GANNI garments sit way out of my personal fashion philosophy (cozy boy, but make it luxe).

My personal style consists mostly of a tee or sweatshirt, with suitably baggy trousers and some luxury footwear that gives me blisters after extended wear. Sometimes I’ll layer a solid-coloured button down with a sweater vest, maybe with my reliable UNIQLO blazer for smarter occasions. My selection is practical and efficient enough for my day-to-day. But attempts at garnishing my essentially capsule wardrobe with GANNI spice wasn’t so difficult at all.

The immediate trend in the above photoset are cotton sweatshirts, specifically puffy ones. The Balloon Sleeve Sweatshirt in lilac is the most fashion-forward, reminding me of Ariana Grande’s thank u, next (2019) marketing era. A bit passe in 2022, but I’m hopeful on where the cultural zeitgeist will land with thank u, next in its legacy form (I imagine an even glossier post-Y2K echo of Cher Horowitz). The same goes for the sweatshirt – will it be relevant in five years time, a realistic window for my wardrobe’s life cycles?

The most practical would be the Software Isoli Puff Sleeve Sweatshirts; less puff (fashion trend) equals more wear (timelessness). I’d likely wear the black a ton, until I decide a more expensive upgrade is needed,. Designer black sweatshirts are a sub-industry on their own, and the FW runways post-pandemic are looking exceptionally chic, the trickle into fast fashion and streetwear begins. The heather grey will immediately become canvas to my dinner, evidenced by my stone UNIQLO Airism Oversized Shirt. Do I ever learn my lesson, to wear a bib? The UNIQLO debit in my online banking transactions as of two hours ago begs to differ. My online sleuthing reveals GANNI is not really just a womenswear brand, with fresh-faced guys modelling the Oversized Hooded Sweatshirts, which come in black, sky captain (navy) and merlot. The corporate website notes the #GANNIGirls hashtag is a plural, insisting everyone is welcome – pedantic cozy boy creatives like myself rejoice. Get back to me about what’s made it past the cart and into the checkout page.

Additional reading:

“A commentary on Yoshitaka Amano and fashion” for Windhill Journal

“A review of Charles Lu, collection [1.]” for Windhill Journal

“A review of Drakes, Menace in Venice” for Windhill Journal

Jay De Belen

June 10, 2022
A review of Drakes, Menace in Venice

Photo by Gloria Caballero via FASHION Magazine

Photo by Gloria Caballero via FASHION Magazine

Photo by Gloria Caballero via FASHION Magazine

Photo by Chris Cheung via FASHION Magazine

The debut Drakes runway show opens with a lonesome lap by a black hoodied, black Conversed apparition in Rick Genest-esque makeup, staring daggers and poised to pounce on an unsuspecting fornt row influencer. Titled Menace in Venice, our ghost parts the seas for the self-proclaimed butcher shop of Toronto fashion, invoking a lived-in reverence to late 90’s and early 2000’s hip-hop culture. Refracted through the lens of Toronto house parties, nightlife and streetwear, the city’s grit and screwface mentality leaves blood in the runway waters.

Though the collection’s roots are in the post-Biggie/Tupac era of Ruff Ryders and G-Unit, the clothes camouflage under the depths of each decade. Some emerge as curated practical details (lighter-sized slips and pockets on buckets hats and leather jackets, for your cannabis paraphernalia) and cultural crystallizations (a gym bag made of basketball jerseys, bandanna-printed implications of the Bloods and Crips). Conceptually, identifying the menace swims incognito amidst the Toronto house party built above it – clear pockets containing government identification cards, blood splatters toying the line between print or stain, a Nelly-like rocking an ankle monitor leather bag. Like a great white shark prowling its hunting grounds, these “menaces” walk their streets and sidewalks. Both are identified through government databases via tracking devices and ID cards, which beg a mouthful of questions. Why are we surveilling these individuals in the first place? Is the surveillance for protection, research, for a conservatory cause? Is “menace” even the correct term?

In an interview with Coteriie Studio (a Toronto-based creative collection, @coterie___ on Instagram) for Fashion Art Toronto’s Facebook page, designer Drakes explains he wants to point consumers and fashion hobbyists into the authentic roots of the fashion industry. “I’ve always wanted to be a nightmare more than a dream. My goal is to scare people, make them realize that [the mainstream fashion movement], following all these big houses is not the goal. It all starts with community, small fashion productions.” A noble cause, championing the influence and relevance of the community – true enough, Drakes’ refracted Toronto perspective of Y2K hip-hop and black culture began simply as a sect in the cultural zeitgeist of that time. Interestingly, shark themes entered the hip-hop music space in ’99, with LL Cool J’s “Deepest Blue” as a single for the B-movie creature feature classic Deep Blue Sea (1999).

Drakes himself is the head researcher of this menace surveillance project, tagging and identifying his sartorial subjects. Essentially, his debut collection boils down to cultural awareness, and unlike the media’s historical depiction of sharks as man-eating machines, Drakes celebrates his subjects as multidimensional characters. Sharks are notoriously portrayed by mainstream media as chaotic, evil forces of nature – see Deep Blue Sea (1999), The Reef (2010), The Shallows (2016), the entire Jaws franchise. Thankfully, National Geographic and Discovery Channel’s portrayal of sharks lean much more towards scientific compassion versus sensationalism.

The collection’s final look is the “Forgive Me For My Sins” leather jacket, patched and embroidered to form a skeleton on glistening dark leather, black as the ocean. Closing the show with a message of vulnerability (that we are all just a bag of bones) further suggests a softer perspective on our so-called menaces – sharks are less a menace than they are one of nature’s perfect iterations of a predator, thanks to over 400 million years of evolution. If Drakes’ menaces to society are the the cultural progenitors of fashion’s future, then let the butcher shop continue to chum the waters for more ideas to breach.

Additional reading:

“The Devil’s Tooth” by Susan Casey

“The Best Looks from Fashion Art Toronto” by Annika Lautens, for FASHION Magazine

“A review of Charles Lu, collection [1.]” for Windhill Journal

Additional watching:

Jay De Belen

May 24, 2022
A review of Charles Lu, collection [1.]

All photos by Gloria Caballero, via FASHION Magazine

Ubiquitous is the use of black and white as a medium for chic, and designer Charles Lu heeds that ubiquity in spades, as he debuts his eponymous brand’s first runway collection. Shown at Toronto’s Design Exchange for Fashion Art Toronto’s OPENHAUS May 2022 fashion weekend, Lu speaks in greyscale language, with winter sports, femme fatales and a dialogue between couture and high streetwear in mind. Stylized as Charles Lu’s collection [1.], he interpolates FW2022 in chic greyscale. Though not his first foray into the fashion space (Lu’s fashion career spans over a decade, plus a stint on the Netflix fashion design reality competition Next In Fashion in 2020), Lu officially debuts with a classic black-and-white colour palette, while riffing on the finer details of couture construction through a streetwear lens. This is no simple athleisure.

Monochromatic looks and colour palettes can communicate a subtle je n’ais se quoi; maison Chanel’s intrinsic aspirational quality come to mind. Black-and-white, if used eloquently, can also build cinematic visual styles, influencing decades of auteur films (see: all of director Akira Kurosawa’s work, pre-1970’s). But to truly be heard above the ocean of black-and-white designs and collections, sensei-level mastery of the medium must be achieved. Kurosawa’s work explores the details of possibility in greyscale, through saturation, motion and liminal space in film; Lu’s debut collection mirrors a similar principle, expressed through volume, sportswear, and a couturier’s eye for exorbitant details.

Rashomon (1950) via Criterion.com

A black-and-white filter or colour scheme is no easy feat to maneuver within; any artist understands that greyscale also means the lack the emotion and visual stimuli colour brings. In Sucker Punch Productions’ 2020 samurai open-world videogame Ghost of Tsushima, a black-and-white Kurosawa mode can be activated any time by the player, transforming a brilliantly coloured feudal Japan into a playable vintage samurai film, complete with metallic, 50’s-style audio modifications. Kurosawa mode is a visual feast for any connoisseur of Japanese media, and a must for any gamer dicking around in photo mode. But, for someone who experienced 70% of my Tsushima playtime in black-and-white, it’s apparent Kurosawa mode is not the optimal way of play. With dodgy dialogue and diegetic audio mixing, colour-specific questlines and combat cues, and cinematic monotony due to the sheer length of open-world games, simply adding a black-and-white filter as a novelty can’t fully accomplish what Kurosawa’s films or Lu’s collections do – a flex on the mastery of the craft.

Screenshot by Jeff Cork, via Game Informer

Lu’s debut collection doesn’t take the easy route with a black-and-white colour palette – instead, fully formed femme fatales storm the runway, as architectural sleeves, capes and drapes are cinched into corsets and bodices, heavily referencing winter sports gear. Extra-long drawstrings abound, adding movement to otherwise structural sporty garments. A deconstructed collegiate letterman jacket is fashioned into a corset and midi jacket with voluminous satin sleeves. A black cropped hoodie shimmers with a crystalline décolletage, the scuba knit material a subtle nod to modern streetwear’s athleisure roots. What can only be described as hockey evening gloves in medic white are unquestionably Canadian feminine; an accessory for a female Winter Soldier. Lu’s clientele will likely lean into the bad bitch aesthetic – CL, Rihanna, Megan Thee Stallion; though it’d be quite patriotic to see post-Love Sux Avril Lavigne in a Lu dress. Unlike Sucker Punch Productions’ light attempt at digitizing greyscale in Tsushima, Lu constructs within the confines, amalgamating buttons, drawstrings and high-volume drapery for the baddest of them all.

If this debut collection is any indication of Charles Lu’s design career, the Canadian fashion industry will experience thoughtful couture for the millenial soul. Lu demonstrates skilled craftsmanship in Next in Fashion, but his inclusion in the show was surely no fluke. Though tainted by bad business dealings, Lu’s pre-reality show backlog collection for Arushi Couture is a kaleidoscope of luxury house influences, Japanese design and concepts, revealing an exacting fashion philosophy: the details will never be damned. Akira Kurosawa found his devil in the details, building a legacy that runs deep in the cultural film zeitgeist (1950’s Rashomon comes highly recommended) – it is this unsparing eye that elevates black-and-white to the heavens. Sucker Punch Productions, take note of Lu’s own Kurosawa mode for the next Ghost of Tsushima – it is a spectacle.

Additional reading:

“A commentary on Toronto Fashion Week FW2022” for Windhill Journal

“Five Designers That Stood Out at Fashion Art Toronto” by Natalie Michie, for FASHION Magazine

“I Love Ghost of Tsushima’s ‘Kurosawa Mode,’ But It’s Not For Everybody” by Jeff Cork, for Game Informer

Additional viewing:

Jay De Belen

May 17, 2022
A commentary on Toronto Fashion Week FW2022

It’s been about ten years since I last attended a fashion week.

Prior to my decade plus-long career in the retail industry, I actually had the privilege of working as a fashion journalist. Though my job never had scope and scale of The Devil Wears Prada’s Andrea Sachs (I saw myself more as a Betty Suarez), the glamour was certainly present. Fashion photoshoots, (D-list) celebrity interviews and major industry PR events were regular occurences. Fashion week attendance was one of those things the entire industry waited bated breath on. I’d argue that in Toronto, the runway shows and designers are not even what attendees are going – it is about that clout.

With clout comes the need to be seen, which then leads to luxury spending. Truly, and arguably especially so in Toronto, fashion weeks are about who, what, and how much we are wearing – the street style of it all. Entire editorial and photography departments, careers and brand activations can be attributed to the content street style produces. It’s not unnatural, street style photographer legend Tommy Ton started his career snapping candid, horizontally-framed shots of Toronto’s fashionistas and sartorialists, further proof of the democratization of fashion in the late 2000’s. Designer brands could reach everybody, not just the celebrities, models and elite parading in their $5000+ outfits.

I will admit I also very recently fell into this trap – I bought the Alexander McQueen oversized sneakers in white/shock pink a week back, specifically for Toronto Fashion Week. Mind you, I’d been saving for months, so I can justify this $850 purchase through my personal shopping rule (debit only: if I can’t buy it twice, I can’t buy it once). I am also not the type to let my designer product sit in a closet; the McQueens will be a regular component in my work uniform going forward. But, fashion week has forced my hand to make the purchase, a least a bit sooner than I’d thought. The rest of my outfit is comprised of some mall fast fashion brands I proudly wear. I’ll never forget my suburban mall rat roots, no matter where luxury shopping takes me (hell, I’m back in mall retail, and feeling gorgeous). But a casual luxury sneaker upgrade is no sin; a simple attempt to look good expensive. Or at least, not look a fool. For the clout.

glasses: UNIQLO, crop top: OAK+FORT, shirt: Topman, pants: MUJI, socks: H&M, shoes: Alexander McQueen

Excuse the dirty mirror, had to catch this Uber, where I’m finishing this blogpost in. Also, the luxury sneaker bug has bit me again – I’ve got my now wise and discerning eye on the Prada Cloudbust Thunder.

Jay De Belen

May 6, 2022
A commentary on Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Forbidden West

Screenshot via my own playthrough

Thankfully, I do not have the coronavirus.

Unfortunately, and I place the blame solely on my aging 30-something body, the common flu has cleaved right through my entire weekly schedule. Gone are the days when I could shake things off with a Hot Toddy, a large beef Pho from a local Vietnamese restaurant and multiple daytime naps. Instead, I’ve rescinded the next five shifts of my part-time job, a much-needed haircut appointment, and my writing productivity has taken a full, snot-filled nosedive. I’ve barely the energy to engage in any conversation or discourse, much to the chagrin of my chatty live-in partner. But despite the fatigue, Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Forbidden West has grabbed my attention span harder than this flu has grabbed my respiratory system.

I played and loved Horizon Zero Dawn, the first of Guerrilla’s post-post-apocalyptic robot dinosaur saga, for at least 80 hours. Though I was taken by an interesting Beast Wars-ian concept and exhilarating combat mechanics, it is the detailed machine design in Zero Dawn that begged to be remembered. Essentially bogging down to character design, the meticulous anatomy of these machines betray their fictional existence. Pipes, plates, horns, tusks, canisters, fluid sacs and appendages – every machine is meticulously, and specifically, designed for in-game world realism. Forbidden West harnesses the power of the PlayStation 5 and doubles down on those details in spade, funneling it into a larger machine bestiary, each with its unique set of reactions, personalities and varieties. Watching these machines go about their business in the wild is recreational, and theoretically the same as riding through a safari. Very National Geographic. Except, Aloy could get bulldozed, burned, and/or paralyzed doing her best Steve Irwin impression.

While the machines may be the obvious stars of this AAA-show, the side content in Forbidden West features remarkably affecting simulated humanity. Clearly, a full voice cast of characters, nuanced facial expressions and snappy writing coalesce into some of the realest humanity I’ve seen in a videogame in recent memory. We’re running the gamut in humanistic stories the game tells, with healthy dosages of political dalliances, the short- and long-term effects of natural disaster, the true meanings of community and family, and a global blight. How in vogue. Obviously, other games have amped up side quest game way before the Horizon franchise – CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 3 boasts some of gaming’s most memorable ancillary stories. But Forbidden West comes armed with such conviction (and budget), it is easy to forget Guerrilla Games is no progenitor to the open-world genre. Plus, with the most beautiful vistas and graphical fidelity – almost perfect visual execution arguably has amplified what already was excellent storytelling. Perfect binge fodder for me, as I cough and sniffle through the hours living vicariously through Aloy’s exploits.

Screenshot via my own playthrough

As my grunting Fire Bristleback dashes through the winding roads of Horizon Forbidden West, with enemy machines rearing their whirring heads to watch as I speed by, there is an unquantifiable zen to this world. It feels similarly to a mental haze, but somehow more tangible and enveloping, like a successful yoga session. Arguably all open-world game developers hope to slather their games with this secret sauce: Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XV (2015), Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding (2019) and Sucker Punch Productions’ Ghost of Tsushima (2020) are a few titles last console generation I’ve personally disappeared into for weeks on end. Forbidden West comes dripping in sauce though, and this delectable immersion allows players (me) to disappear from their personal situations (my common flu), even for just an hour or two at a time.

As of the posting of this blogpost, I’m completely recovered from the flu – Horizon Forbidden West has healed me, a messianic digital laying of the hands. It seems I owe Guerrilla Games a medical bill. Don’t tell them; I work freelance!

Additional reading:

“A commentary on Final Fantasy VIII’s Shumi” for Windhill Journal

“A commentary on Yoshitaka Amano and fashion” for Windhill Journal

“I Can’t Stop Ogling Horizon Forbidden West’s Wind” by Ethan Gach, for Kotaku.com

Additional viewing:

Jay De Belen

April 29, 2022
A commentary on 2NE1

Image via Coachella

After years of teasing their return to music, South Korean girl group 2NE1 reunited in high energy and dramatics at Coachella 2022, a mind-melting surprise for fans everywhere. Performing their smash 2011 hit “I Am the Best,” CL, Minzy, Dara and Bom are still clear exemplaries of the K-Pop idol machine – talented and individual brand names carefully curated into a group. Though it’s been years since most of the members have operated under the alleged oppression of the YG Entertainment agency, and six years since their last performance at the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards, their abrupt disbandment looms as a stinging shadow with the ladies and their fans.

The Asian-focused multimedia creative agency 88rising secured the “Head in the Clouds” showcase for Coachella, the first official sponsored timeslot for a label/agency, featuring a handful of Asian acts like legendary Japanese music artist Utada Hikaru and suave Hong Kong singer Jackson Wang. Throughout her punchy three-song set of “HELLO BITCHES,” “Chuck,” and “Spicy,” CL serves strong Rihanna at Hackney Weekend 2012 vibes, a personal favourite in music festival pop sets. It’s inspiring to see CL command the stage at a globally renowned event like Coachella – crawling her way out of the ashes of her label days, resurrecting as a phoenix. CL speaks gracefully when asked on her time in K-Pop machine, so 2NE1 joining her on stage, though surprising, was not unlikely. After all, the ladies maintain great relationships, evidenced by each other’s (public and leaked private) social media. What is impressive is the amount of administrative wheeling and dealing required to make this reunion happen. Involving TaP Music and/or Konnect Entertainment (CL), MZ Entertainment (Minzy), Abyss Company (Dara), D-Nation Entertainment (Dara), 88rising and Coachella, the liaising for this get together must have been a logistic nightmare. A salute to all marketing coordinators involved.

Video screenshot via X100PRE

Thanks to all this effort, the fandom is gifted a 2NE1 performance untarnished by YG and tempered by time and growth. Minzy is a rollicking force in a sharp black bob, performing like her life depended on it. An accidentally shoeless Dara shows out her stank face, exposed belly (an K-Pop impossibility in their heydays) and iconic Vegeta hair. We even get to see a sweet interaction between CL and Bom. Bom, who is notoriously shy and prone to stage fright, is energized by a well-placed cheer, right in her ear, from CL. It’s moments like this that bring warm-hearted tears to the fandom’s eyes, that above all, 2NE1 are not just group members, but sisters. “Through this moment today, I hope those emotions you felt through us in the past are revived again,” CL shares in Korean, on Instagram; it seems she knew this moment needed to exist. I commend CL, for being a true leader amongst a crowd of industry employees. For newer post-2NE1 fans of CL, I suggest a deep dive into older performances and behind the scenes footage to get a multi-faceted grasp of the real Chaelin Lee and how she became who she is today.

It’s unlikely that 2NE1 will return to the glory days of explosive fame and record-setting success. What is likely is a new CL era, a topic further supported by this surprise Coachella performance. 2NE1 as a group, and individually in their own solo careers, has already made their stamp on the overall structure, sound and politics of K-Pop today. What is more likely is a Destiny’s Child-esque existence – nobody ever really knows if they will reunite, but all the cards could be in the right place (looking at you, Beyonce). Maybe we’ll see another MAMA performance; let CL, Minzy, Dara and Bom show the industry how it’s done, and to their fucking faces at that. But, if all fans are treated to are a handful of one-off singles, performances, behind the scenes reunion footage and the eventual but seemingly archived “Let It” 2NE1 version, may these blessings be treasured by the fandom forever.

Additional reading:

“2NE1 Reunite on Coachella Main Stage” by Kristine Kwak, for Rolling Stone

“CL Opens Up About Why She Wanted to Reunite 2NE1 at Coachella” by Gladys Yeo, for NME.com

“OMG. 2NE1 Wore Their Debut Hairstyles at Coachella and We’re Crying” by Lyn Alumno, for NYLON Manila

“A commentary on CL” for Windhill Journal

Jay De Belen

April 19, 2022
A commentary on CL

Image by L’Official Korea

Image by L’Official Korea

Image by L’Official Korea

Image by Marvin Magazine

Image by The WOW Magazine

Image by The WOW Magazine

Image by HYPEBAE

Image by HYPEBAE

Any millennial pop music aficionado growing up on a diet of 2000’s MTV, celebrity culture and the early blogosphere will know that a pop artist appearing in a barrage of fashion magazine covers is camouflaged marketing strategy. This is a clear indication of a project either in the works or already on the way. In the mid-Spring/Summer of 2022, South Korean pop export CL (nee Chaelin Lee) appeared successively in The WOW, L’Officiel Korea, Marvin and HYPEBAE’s first ever digital cover. True to her penchant for a kaleidoscope of styles, CL and each photoshoot’s editorial team conjures up striking new visuals, new pages in the CL fashion compendium. And though her 2NE1 legacy is sealed in the marble halls of YG, her 2021 debut album ALPHA, released under her own Very Cherry label, is a creative masterstroke of CL’s pop curation. A childhood in the South Korean pop machine and years of experience on the fringes of mainstream music has CL fully equipped.

ALPHA comes highly recommended for pop fans looking for a mix of dark R&B Rihanna, swaggering Lil’ Kim attitude and the performance-driven choreography and energy of K-Pop. Veteran listeners will dip into mostly familiar CL territory; she is a blackbelt of pop, R&B and hip-hop stylings. But, the effortlessness of the songs betrays how musically complex these beats really are – every percussive tone, every snap or hi-hat, every synth is specifically placed. Pop songwriters and producers like Baauer (G-Dragon, Diplo), Dave Hamelin (070 Shake, Leikeli47) and Jean-Baptise Kouame (Rihanna, Madonna) all make appearances, fleshing out ALPHA deceptively detailed sonic palate. But it’s unquestionable that CL is cherry picking elements of her mix.

“Chuck” is a particular standout, brash and bratty like her early 2NE1 verses, but weightier and with luxe bravado. And the percussion sound design is tight and metallic, but the song production is so full of aural space. “Tie A Cherry” slots in nicely between Rihanna-like playlists, excellent in all its pop/R&B glory. The fashionable music video is the true representation of the song, another highly recommended watch. Transforming herself between genres, CL also serves pop-rock a la 2NE1, Travis Scott-style trap and blistering EDM dance, reminiscent of her Diplo days. The result on ALPHA is a blossoming, impactful debut. Even beyond the album, CL’s one-off singles and independent EP showcase a versatility and competency rare in even the North American pop scene. 2016’s “Lifted” riffs on tropical reggae-pop with heavy interpolation (and a Method Man co-sign) of the Wu-Tang Clan. Despite sounding more like unfinished pop ideas, 2019’s In the Name of Love EP is a hopeful self-produced reintroduction of what was to come. “Wish You Were Here,” released in early 2021, is a cautiously vulnerable ode to her late mother. Always a chameleon of style, CL’s musical pathway can truly lead anywhere.

The music industry should pay closer attention to CL and her body of work. She is the fully realized female Asian figure, unconquered by North American stereotypical sensibilities and unfazed by the K-Pop machine. Her allegory as a phoenix from the ashes of record label politics industry trappings, and skill as a masterful curator of South Korean pop stylings resonates so strongly with her fanbase, many of whom have been riding the CL train since her 2009 debut. Now, CL is cobbling together all elements of her creative persona, as the baddest female, the 2NE1 leader and the real Chaelin Lee. What us children are fed are fashionable fiery pop gems, sizzling with attitude and slathered in this very specific sauce that is spicy, made in Korea. If this wave of fashion magazine marketing is any indication, ALPHA was just an appetizer.

Additional reading:

“The Badass “Unnie” Graces the First-Ever Cover of HYPEBAE.” by Yeeun Kim, for HYPEBAE

” CL, Korean Singer, Rapper and MARVIN Issue 4 Cover Star, Opens Up About Her Latest Album “Alpha” and Her Solo Journey” by Alex Frank, for Marvin

“CL: In the Name of Love” by Robyn Ngan, for The Wow

“A commentary on Britney Spears” for Windhill Journal

Jay De Belen

April 12, 2022
A shopping guide on SOCCO Annex

I offer a personal thanks to the mercantile gods, who spin the wheels of commerce through the current pandemic. In the advent of the full reopening of non-essential retailers in Ontario, the consumer in me suspiciously realized my home needs reorganizing. Particularly, my videogame collection display needs sprucing up. And so, I make the trek to Toronto’s downtown core, a justification for the impulsive purchases I so obviously needed at the time. I’ve always enjoyed collecting treasures and finding hidden gems, so any opportunity to wander into the city’s shops is a treat. After discovering SOCCO Annex sometime during the summer of 2021, the quaint home goods shop has become one of my favourite local brands. Located around the intersection of Bathurst and Bloor Street in Toronto’s Christie Pits, SOCCO Annex speaks in traditional Moroccan handcrafting and design, by gorgeous way of muted pastel luxury. A genteel clientele would resonate with the beauty.

The shop peddles a fashionable selection of interior accoutrements. The stonewashed linen sheets, lovingly merchandised in a repurposed dishware cabinet, whisper their colour palettes to their patrons. A dining table array of meticulously curated tableware recalls an Wonderlandian tea party set in a Moroccan villa. The shop’s wall décor product is striking, with palm leaf straw fashioned into voluminous hats or intricate animal heads. Though simple, I gravitated towards these Aykasa polypropylene mini folding crates, retailing for $10.00 CAD. Initially drawn to the unconventional colour palette and a perceived feminine touch, I thought the collapsible feature was inspired, an idea I originally encountered with MUJI and their storage solutions years before. For those looking for larger PP crate sizes, check out the midi ($20.00 CAD) and maxi ($45.00 CAD) sizes.

Videogames not included

Organizing my videogames, my brain would want to categorize specific games in the same crate. One way to organize would be to group similar things together – organizing videogames by franchise, or genre, or game developer. You could also organize alphabetically for practicality. But I like the idea of organizing things that provide context for each other. This application is intuitive and conceptual, like a museum curator balancing demand and innovation. The intent is to see a fresh connection between disparate franchises, or brands. In a way, seeing SOCCO’s luxe product filled with videogames is a new vision for gaming storage. If only this were a standard in the retail gaming industry, how luxurious of a shopping experience that would be!

SOCCO Annex offers a distinct handmade Moroccan aesthetic to the Christie Pits market. Though the area boasts plenty of niche retailers, catering directly to my penchant for curiosities, this little shop is a window to a real-life fantasy world. In a neighbourhood fueled by downtown Toronto’s cool as a cucumber attitude, SOCCO is a humble respite from an icy demeanour. With fronds of straw and greenery evoking country and nature, and the assorted product inviting tactile exploration, it’s easy for anybody with the right mix of wanderlust and shopping addiction to fall in love. Be sure to check out their website, and for the TO locals, head over to 474 Bloor Street West for all your lovely houseware needs.

Jay De Belen

April 6, 2022
A commentary on Final Fantasy VIII’s Shumi

Concept art via Creative Uncut

Being that JRPGs are my favourite genre of game, I’d be remiss to not yearn for the nostalgic comfort of the humble town location, particularly in the day-to-day malaise of working culture. The town location is the practical and emotional sense of rest and relief in what are typically long, arduous journeys with your party. Personal favourite towns include the flower-filled Winhill (Final Fantasy VIII), the enduring Ryube Village (Suikoden II), and the thematically-relevant Pelican Town (Stardew Valley). Many of these town locations are so emotionally weighty, sometimes just the muted MIDI guitar plucks opening Chrono Cross’ “Guldove (Another World)” theme can bring me to tears. I’ve been recently re-playing Final Fantasy VIII and found some unexpected philosophical viewpoints in the Shumi Village, a town whose renown is overshadowed by larger, bustling locales like Balamb Garden or Deling City. Nevertheless, it seems age has helped context FFVIII’s philosophies, and in turn closely resemble my own views and attitude.

Somebody on the Final Fantasy VIII writing team must have read up on Friedrich Nietzsche’s eternal recurrence and his exacting views on amor fati (Latin: love of one’s fate). In short, Nietzsche believed that human beings must learn to love and accept their all occurrences, circumstances and destinies; plainly, it’s a positive spin on stoicism. I wouldn’t have guessed I’d encounter a compelling philosophy in a late 90’s videogame, in a pleasant, verdant village of gentle Hutt-like humanoids.

Screenshot by Cool Ghost via LP Archive

The Shumi themselves are curious creatures. Dressed in striking monk robes, with droopy features, elongated arms and hands, they’re a gentle, benevolent race. Valuing a relaxed lifestyle, handiwork and ingenuity, the Shumi refer to each other as their vocation, a subtle way of placing their professions on a pedestal. As I journey through the Final Fantasy VIII main story, I encounter the bellowing and belligerent NORG, a Shumi investor for Balamb Garden, seemingly a perverse, hulking mutation of the Shumi form. The Shumi lifecycle includes evolution into a Moomba (a mewling lion/cat-like bipedal beast) or an Elder (a taller, slimmer Shumi that governs the village), but it is not unavoidable. Some of the Shumi I encountered in the village expressed needing to do more, experience more, see more, before they evolved. It is not quite death as it is a restart.

The Elder of the Shumi Village believes his Attendant, already showing huge heart as a potential Shumi leader, will eventually evolve into an Elder – it shows in Attendant’s being. Convinced of this fact, Elder orders Attendant to help the rest of the villagers build a statue of one of their most influential village visitors. Laguna Loire, a fool equipped with a heart of gold, barged in upon the village 17 years prior. Attendant initially believed him to be a machine-gun wielding bandit, but instead was captured by Laguna’s palpable wanderlust and curiosity. Like Laguna, Attendant wants to explore the world, see new sights; a seed of wanderlust was inadvertently planted.

Unfortunately, Attendant is one of those that initially resent their evolutionary requirement – why can’t he travel the world too, see new sights, experience new tastes and smells? Why must he stay in the beautiful but compact world of the Shumi, wrapped lovingly in a simple, humble existence? Why was he asked to help build the Laguna statue? And why did the Elder make it so that after its construction, Attendant’s heart would be set on eventually inheriting the Elder duties?

In a conversation during Laguna’s final visit to the Shumi Village, Attendant express his longing for freedom, being able to move outside of the community, jealous of Laguna’s explits. But, Laguna poses what seems to be a straight-forward, but arguably one of the most philosophical questions in-game.

Screenshot by Cool Ghost via LP Archive

For the entirety of my adult life, I’d felt similarly to Attendant. I’d long for the dynamism of worlds that seemed unreachable or fantastical in my little bubble – cultured metropolitan cities, corporate level workplaces, luxury lifestyles. But unlike Attendant, I was able to learn these lessons without Shumi guardrails; luckily, I do not live in a videogame. I’m still privy to the JRPG town location’s life lessons. There are connections placed in my life directly threading me into larger goals and communities that glorify humanitarian efforts, and instead seeing the situation as an inevitability, I should see it instead as a prelude to a relaxed fantasy.

Screenshots by Cool Ghost via LP Archive

Additional reading:

“A commentary on Yoshitaka Amano and fashion” for Windhill Journal

Jay De Belen

April 2, 2022
A commentary on Yoshitaka Amano and fashion

Illustration by Yoshitaka Amano

Since the inception of the Final Fantasy series in 1987, Yoshitaka Amano is a name synonymous with the franchise. The lifeblood of Final Fantasy has roots in Amano’s work; his distinctive style evoked romantic worlds and characters with the gentle, empty expressions. All character designs, whether concept or in-game, has its genealogy in Amano. All mainline Final Fantasy titles feature Amano logos. Surely, Square Enix is aware the fanbase expects, at the very least, a trace of his heritage in their FF adventure. Personally, the art of Final Fantasy was the main draw for me as a little fish, wading in the shores of the vast JRPG ocean. That Final Fantasy VIII logo strikes a chord in me so deep and visceral; I cry at just the thought.

In an effort to communicate sustainability, Vogue Italia opted for a photoshoot-free January 2020 issue, with all creative assets provided by illustrators and artists, according to Hypebeast. Seven covers were created, with Amano’s featuring a striking depiction of an alluring Lindsey Wixson in Gucci Spring/Summer 2020. The cobalt is blue as a lagoon, contrasting against Wixon’s dirty blonde; the addition of feathers suggests a siren, or a sly faerie. In the runway show, the dress is a much sexier affair, barely suggesting a neckline, styled with a black vinyl choker and an equestrian-meets-BDSM feathered riding crop. Amano’s illustration is more subdued, and strongly resembles any of the work he’s done for Final Fantasy. Frankly, any of the illustrations he provided for that issue could easily pass as stylish concept art for an upcoming Square Enix.

Photo by Filippo Fior via Vogue.com

A fashion and couture-RPG would make me shell out any amount of money to play and own. (Sidenote: I’m strongly considering spending $250 CAD to own the Amano cover, despite not understanding a lick of Italian.) Being drawn to visuals, fashion was a surprising but natural evolution in the plethora of my personal interests. Fashion design and character design speak the same language, fantasy can be equipped as a guiding lens. If any game developer decided to flesh out a modern fashion-focused product, heavily influenced by today’s runway, the industry could welcome an entirely new segment of customers into their fanbases. A serious collaboration between haute couture and video games? This is not so far-fetched of an idea.

Lightning (of Final Fantasy XIII) starred in a Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2016, brandishing handbags in her battle stances. In 2015, English fashion designer Vivienne Westwood became a canon character in the Final Fantasy XV universe, designing the wedding dress of Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. Noel Kreiss, Sazh Katzroy and Hope Estheim (in their Final Fantasy XIII-2 era) join Lightning to digitally model Prada’s Spring/Summer 2012. Most recently and less ostentatiously, cult phenomenon Neku and his magic fashion pins returns to the video game zeitgeist with the sequel NEO: The World Ends With You, which is heavily influenced by Harajuku and Shibuya street style, which in turn are heavily influence by Japanese fashion artists Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons. There’s evidently a connection worth exploring here.

Today’s feature will be Yoshitaka Amano’s illustration work for the Vogue Italia January ’20, sourced from Yoshitaka Amano’s official website. They’re truly showstopping, with the prettiest colour palettes. He’s got a way with the intricacies of prints and fabric textures, particularly in his interpretation of ruffles and ruching. I’m at a loss in ID’ing the actual garments, but they may just be Amano’s own designs. I’m feeling strong hints of Yuna (FFX), her wedding dress and Gullwings outfit, and the aforementioned Lunafreya (FFXV). Befitting the fantasy, the collection even features an excessively ornate, grotesque behemoth, glaring down from a watermelon sky; very final boss of Vogue Italia.

Fashion as an inspiration in the video game industry is still uncommon, but the seeds of what could be germinate. If the benchmark of character and art design strongly involved fashion and style, much like Amano’s work, purveyors of the fashion industry could likely enjoy the stories and find their own inspiration in gaming. With fashion houses moving into exploring digital celebrities through technology, video game characters are a perfect avatar for corporate messaging. Which is where the lines between art and commerce begin blur. There’s an array of directions the confluence of video games and fashion could yield: more brand collaborations, more photoshoot-free magazines, luxury fashion DLC, game-compatible NFTs, Final Fantasy characters in Dior and McQueen. I’ll admit that one of my favourite parts of Final Fantasy XV was changing my party’s outfits. If I could have my FF protagonist constantly dash through their fantasy world in SS22 Dior, I’d have reached the peak of my personal media fantasies.

Illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano

Additional reading:

“Gucci Spring 2020 Ready-To-Wear” by Nicole Phelps, for Vogue.com

“Story and Style Converge in The World Ends With You” by Ria Teitelbaum, for Wired

“Why Fashion Illustration Matters in the Digital Age” by Laird Borrelli-Persson, for Vogue.com

Jay De Belen

March 18, 2022
A commentary on Britney Spears

Photo by Mario Testino

In the advent of Britney Spears’ freedom from her abusive conservatorship in November 2021, she’s made multiple references in her infamous Instagram account about her desires to return to music. As a lifelong Britney fan, I’d be remiss to expect another album, considering the allegations Spears herself to court in June 2021. The underappreciated pop masterclass Glory, released August 2016, suffered from minimal promotion and a music video riddled with creative clashes, allegedly due to the shifting nature of the conservatorship. Which was unfortunate, because Glory is arguably the strongest collection of songs Spears has recorded, to date. For anybody who doubts the place of Britney Spears in the modern zeitgeist of pop, I implore you to listen to the 2021 reissue.

There is a slight fanaticism when it comes to being a Britney fan. Personally, it stirs up feelings reminiscent of the 2000’s celebrity culture, when LiveJournal’s ONTD and the crude Perez Hilton ruled the blogosphere, only now instead of the microblogging platforms and forums, we have Twitter and TikTok leading visual conversations. This fanaticism has somehow led me to stumble upon American pop singer LIZ’s debut track “When I Rule The World,” under Diplo’s Mad Decent label, and produced by SOPHIE.

“When I Rule The World” tosses together the candied energy of K-Pop, helium-soaked Gwen Stefani quips and a blistering 4/4 beat. According to a feature by The Guardian, LIZ was incredulous to hear that Spears wanted to record the song, allegedly for the fan-speculated but eventually scrapped album, Pretty World (with theoretical promo single “Pretty Girls” featuring the now-retired Iggy Azalea). “I had to fight to get it back. But I would love to write a song for her. She taught me how to be a pop star.”

If Britney decided to do hyper-pop for her return to music, she could light the industry on fire and bring some joie de vivre back into pop. Though for any Britney fan, any direction Spears wants to take will move financial mountains. For the interested speculators, here’s a shortlist of probable musicians and collaborators, for Spears’ eventual return to the scene (unofficially named B10).

Karen Kwak, the Glory apologist

Photo by Jonathan Weiner via Variety

Seasoned A&R music executive Karen Kwak was a key element in the exacting curation of Glory. According to Fast Company Magazine, Spears’ deep commitment resulted into two of her most genre-bending cuts to date: vocally incandescent “Private Show” and French electro-R&B “Coupure Electrique.” Kwak says aspects of 2007’s Blackout influenced the process, but “the Britney that was taking chances, always changing, and always doing something new” was at the helm of inspiration. Let Kwak use her magic in filtering in the right mix of producers and musicians and B10 will likely find even greater critical acclaim than Glory.

Tinashe, the Water-Bearer

Photo by Marcus Cooper

Tinashe, long a student of Spears’ discography, has the same pop music curatorial skills. Tinashe’s mixtapes sound like fantastical explorations of In The Zone’s genre kaleidoscope, while her larger video productions under record labels come armed with electrifying dance sequences. She’s sampled Circus’ “Blur” on her own “Can’t Say No,” and been featured with Britney herself on “Slumber Party” (curiously, her version is not included on Glory’s 2021 reissue). Tinashe has her eyes and ears set on the future of pop music; with Spears in tow, they can usher in an age of Aquarius.

Giorgio Moroder, the Godfather

Photo by Sebastian Kim via Interview Magazine

How amazing it would be to relive “Tom’s Diner,” a glittering 80’s Britney moment in Giorgio Moroder’s otherwise meandering Déjà Vu (2015). Writer Brittany Spanos at Rolling Stone describes the Suzanne Vega cover as “even more sonically dynamic, with Spears evoking Vega’s subdued, almost deadpan, delivery.” If B10 channeled the spirit of Madonna’s Confessions On A Dancefloor years, with Moroder subbing in for Stuart Price’s disco duties, fans would see Spears reach new sonic distances unheard in her discography.

Danja, the Dark Wizard

Via Complex

Overseeing a solid chunk of Blackout, Danja and Spears collaborations have proven time and again the timelessness of their sound. Blackout still stands as the only Spears record inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s music library, originally reported by MTV in 2012. He has a penchant for dark, pulsating hip-hop beats, evoking vindictiveness and rebellion, especially once contextualized in these post-conservatorship years. Danja on B10 is a no-brainer; rumour has it work has already begun.

Mirwais Ahmadzai, the Elusive Guru

Photo by Michael Cragg via The Guardian

Mirwais Ahmadzai is arguably an obvious choice for B10, considering Spears danced to and enjoyed multiple tracks from Madonna and Ahmadzai’s collaborations on Instagram, namely “Nobody’s Perfect” (American Life, 2003) and “Paradise (Not For Me)” (Music, 2000). His latest work with Madonna is 2019’s critically acclaimed Madame X, featuring some of the pop veteran’s most sonically challenging to date, fired into too many stylistic cylinders. Spears curatorial taste could potentially pivot a barrage of left-of-center musicality into an experimental pop classic, akin to Madonna’s Kaballah years.

Janet Jackson, the Legacy

Photo by Tom Munro via Allure

If B10 had only one feature, a legendary Janet Jackson collaboration would obviously be the album lead single. Danja is a massive Janet fan, proclaiming his adoration of her Rhythm Nation 1814 era on his social media, so that solves who will be producer. This could be what “Me Against The Music” hinted at, but instead of passing a torch, we could see the two reclaim narratives in both their careers. Jackson herself has gone through some tumultuous times and could use a career revival; the parallels are brimming with creative possibility.

Jay De Belen

March 7, 2022