30 Aug 2011

Have a Fabulous Eid!

Snapped by: Annisa

Astriani, editor of The Blanc Notes
at Taman Menteng, Jakarta

28 Aug 2011

Snap on the go: rough hours


Snapped by : Annisa

at Taman Suropati, Jakarta

Uh. Just an update: the cancellation on tomorrow's Eid is a total buzz kill.
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Pengumuman kalau Idul Fitri, secara resmi dari pemerintah, tidak jadi besok. Huh.

Around Jakarta: music in the park




Snapped by : Annisa

I thought I was dreaming. 
A couple weeks ago, I and Astriani decided to go around the area of Menteng and Diponegoro to hunt for some street style pictures on a Sunday afternoon. And, look at what we just found out! 

Apparently, every Sunday, Taman Suropati has this community music course, where the teachers teach anybody (literally anybody) musical instruments (well, of course you have to bring your own instrument). We saw a lot of people practicing with their violins, guitars, and even saxophones. They had groups based on the level of the students skills, and I think that they didn't have any age restriction, which made it even more interesting.

And for a skeptical girl who grows up in the middle of the crazy urban life of the capital city, it felt like someone just slapped me, and said "honey, the city ain't that evil".

Baboosh!

P.S: if you're interested in this community music program, click here
---


Sumpah deh saya kira saya lagi mimpi ketika saya dan Astriani, yang niatnya mau hunting street style pictures di hari Minggu sore, melihat keramaian di Taman Suropati, Jakarta.

Ternyata, setiap hari Minggu, Taman Suropati mengadakan kursus musik berbasis komunitas, dimana para gurunya mengajarkan berbagai tehnik bermain alat musik (tapi alat musiknya bawa sendiri dong ya) kepada siapa saja (beneran, siapa aja). Ada banyak sekali orang-orang yang berlatih memainkan biola, gitar, dan bahkan saxophone. Mereka dikelompokan berdasarkan tingkat kemampuan, dan, yang lebih menarik lagi, tanpa batasan umur!

Dan untuk seorang perempuan yang tumbuh di tengah liarnya hutan beton ibukota, saya merasa seperti ditampar dan dibilangin: "Jakarta nggak sejahat itu kok, say".

Ah...

P.S: kalo kamu tertarik dengan program musik berbasis komunitas di Taman Suropati, klik link ini

(Annisa)

27 Aug 2011

Talk of the Blog with Eva


click on the image for a better view

Interview by Astriani and Annisa
Image: courtesy of Eva


26 Aug 2011

Snap on the go: Dr. Martens


Snapped by : Laila

My mom loves to tell me about her life as a girl living in the the late sixties to the seventies in Indonesia, and in a sense, I don't find any difference with those stories told about the flower power/disco era in American/British magazines. I mean, my mom literally went to discotheques (such an amazing term, ain't it?), wore the ultra-short skirts, crazy hair-dos, and she also had all those times she spent to save some money for a pair of Dr. Martens.

Yup, a pair of the iconic boots. She said it was so 'in' during the seventies, that you would never be an 'it' girl in Jakarta without them.

Well, now Diana Rikasari loves them (and we believe a lot of fashion bloggers do), we snapped Inno with a pair too. But, wouldn't it be nice if the price tag of a pair of Doc Marts were a bit 'okay-I'll-buy-them-right-away' instead being 'oh-shit-they're-so-expensive-I'll-have-to-save-some-money-now-and-buy-them-someday' ?

---

Ibu saya senang banget bercerita tentang kehidupannya di masa remaja di akhir tahun 60an dan 70an di Indonesia, yang sebenarnya, saya rasa nggak jauh berbeda dari cerita-cerita yang ada di berbagai majalah dari Amerika/Inggris tentang flower power atau disco. Ibu saya memang benar-benar menghabiskan masa mudanya untuk pergi ke diskotik (ciyee..diskotik, cyin!), memakai rok super pendek, heboh tentang gaya rambut, dan juga menabung sisa uang jajannya untuk bisa beli sepasang Doc Marts.

Ya, sepasang boots bermerk Dr. Martens memang 'in' banget di tahun 70an, dan kalau nggak punya sepasang, menurut ibu saya, nggak akan dianggap keren .

Sekarang, kita bisa lihat ternyata Diana Rikasari (dan tentu banyak fashion bloggers lainnya) cinta banget sama Dr. Martens. The Blanc Notes juga sempat memotret Inno dengan sepasang Doc Marts.

Tapi, kayaknya akan lebih menyenangkan deh kalau harga sepasang Dr. Martens bisa lebih 'yuk-beli-sekarang-yuk' daripada 'ah-sial-mahal-banget-bo-nabung-dulu-deh-gue-siapa-tahu-bisa-beli-kapan-gitu', ya kan?

(Annisa)

25 Aug 2011

Snap on the go: model off duty


Snapped by : Laila

at Part One Edward Hutabarat: Reflection, after show.
The Atrium, Sampoerna Strategic Square, Jakarta.

If you like the looks of models, off duty, as much as I am, you can obsess over this tumblr: Models Off Duty

Kalau kamu juga suka banget sama gaya model saat sedang tidak lenggak-lenggok di runway, klik tumblr ini: Models Off Duty




Snap on the go: laces and twists


Snapped by : Laila

at Part One Edward Hutabarat: Reflection, after show.
The Atrium, Sampoerna Strategic Square, Jakarta.

This is the kind of look I personally think worth trying for. Sophisticated, but wearable for streets under Jakarta's blazing sun.

Penampilan seperti ini menurut saya wajib dicoba. Sophisticated, dan sesuai untuk orang Jakarta yang berjalan di bawah sinar terik matahari.

(Annisa)

24 Aug 2011

Snap on the go: leather goods


Snapped by : Annisa

at Part One Edward Hutabarat: Reflection, after show.
The Atrium, Sampoerna Strategic Square, Jakarta.

Stylish people are not created equal, especially in pulling off leather jackets. This is serious.Fundamental. Important (I can look up some more synonyms, if necessary).

And I think I could never wear one. Well, sometimes I would have that thought of buying a nice leather jacket (with horrifying price tag). Unfortunately, every time I go out with a stylish friend wearing a cool leather jacket, my other friend (who's of course not fashion-literate) would say "ojek-style, no?"

Hfft. Major turn off.

But, but, but, I think Dita here (hey, girl!) looks amazing. Leather jackets, indeed, carry strong masculine vibe, and Dita manages to combine the look with a printed top and a pair of platform heels, and don't forget her long-wavy hair do and that Chanel bag. Totally feminine. Yet, she picks shades of black. Very interesting pull between feminine and masculine items.

I know, I know, fashion is not rocket science. Some people think it's not necessarily that complicated.

But I don't believe that any rocket scientist can look as fierce as her.

(Annisa)

Penting banget nih: tidak semua stylish people bisa memakai leather jacket. Beneran deh. Dan saya rasa, saya salah satunya. Beberapa kali ada niat untuk beli leather jacket yang serius (yang harganya kadang memicu adrenalin, lalu dilanjutkan dengan rasa malu, karena tidak mampu beli). Tapi setiap kali saya pergi dengan teman yang sudah super gaya dan memakai leather jacket, pasti ada aja satu teman lainnya (yang tidak begitu mengerti fashion dan tren, tentu) yang akan berkata "kayak tukang ojek, ya...".

Jleb.

Tapi, saya rasa penampilan Dita (hai, Dita!) disini keren banget. Leather jacket memang selalu membawa masculine vibe yang kuat, dan Dita mengkombinasikannya dengan printed top dan platform heels, and don't forget her long-wavy hair do and that Chanel bag. Totally feminine. But, hey, shade warna yang dipilih Dita adalah hitam. Tarik menarik antara feminin dan maskulin? Smart.

I know, I know, fashion is not rocket science. Some people think it's not necessarily that complicated.

But I don't believe that any rocket scientist can look as fierce as her.

(Annisa)

23 Aug 2011

Snap on the go: oops, he's looking!


Snapped by : Annisa

at Part One Edward Hutabarat: Reflection, after show.
The Atrium, Sampoerna Strategic Square, Jakarta.

Today, I thought a lot about the concept of street style photography that The Blanc Notes has been prancing around with.

Since the very beginning, I and Astriani (and with gazillion help from Laila) have always wanted to make a fashion blog that not only records pictures of Jakarta's stylish people (we have a lot of'em, but they've got their own cool spots), but also celebrates (mind my over-the-top languange, darlings) the visual quality provided by cameras of our day (i.e. DSLRs).

Like what Laila has brilliantly discussed in her blog, it is quite impossible to expect street style pictures a la Scott, Garance, or Tommy. Main reason? Their objects are streets of New York, Milan, and Paris. Ours? The bewildred streets of Jakarta, and possibly the diverse lands of Indonesia.

Yet, we continue hunting for pictures of those uber-stylish people. And they're not that rare, apparently.

The Blanc Notes is almost two-month-old, an infant compared to blogs belong to the wonderful fashionistas we've interviewed, like Ario or Michelle. We hope to continue snapping qualified pictures and to have more loyal readers. Including you.

XOXO
Annisa

Hari ini tiba-tiba saya benar-benar kepikiran mengenai konsep street style photography yang selama ini menjadi andalannya The Blanc Notes.

Sejak awal, saya dan Astriani (dengan bantuan super banyak dari Laila) memang tidak mau membuat fashion blog untuk sekedar memotret stylish people di Jakarta (yang jumlahnya ternyata bombastis, cuma pada suka ngumpet di titik-titik tertentu saja yaa), tetapi juga untuk merayakan (aduh, gaya deh) kualitas visual dari kamera.

Seperti yang dibahas Laila di blognya, sulit untuk mengharapkan street style pictures ala New York atau Milan atau Paris, seperti yang dilakukan Scott Schumann, Garance Dore, dan Tommy Ton ketika settingannya adalah Jakarta Raya, atau mungkin Indonesia secara umum.

Tapi, kami tidak pernah berhenti hunting foto. Dan, ternyata, benar kan, stylish people memang bukan spesies yang langka, asalkan kami mau sedikit mengerutkan mata dan mencari tempat persembunyian mereka (this is hunting in literal sense, ya? haha)

The Blanc Notes sudah mau berusia dua bulan. Masih infant banget ya memang, dibandingkan dengan para bloggers yang sudah kami wawancarai, seperti Ario ataupun Michelle. Mudah-mudahan, kualitasnya The Blanc Notes bisa naik terus. Dan semoga jumlah pembacanya juga bertambah setiap hari. And hopefully you, who's reading this long rant post 'til the end, will be one of our loyal readers.

XOXO
Annisa

21 Aug 2011

Talk of the Blog: Michelle Hendra

click on the image for a better view

Interview by Astriani and Annisa
Image: courtesy of Michelle Hendra

20 Aug 2011

Snap on the go: Nadia Hutagalung


Snapped by : Laila
Words by : Annisa

at Part One Edward Hutabarat: Reflection, after show.
The Atrium, Sampoerna Strategic Square, Jakarta.

I guess this is a basic teen-girl memory growing up in the late 90s: Nadia Hutagalung and MTV. When I was just a teenie weenie sixth-grader, I remember running, to catch up MTV Most Wanted (correct?) and to see Nadia reading requests for video clips. I remember her reading a letter in form of Titanic ship. I remember her being so proud being half-Bataknese. I remember when Indonesians took MTV Asia over by having her, Jamie Aditia, and Sarah Sechan. I mean it was down right awesomeness.

And now, after I've gone through changes and phases, over a decade later, she appeared exactly the same: asthonishingly beautiful and impossibly stylish. I don't think the concept of time really applies for her.

Sepertinya ini memori standar remaja cewek tahun 90an akhir: Nadia Hutagalung dan MTV. Waktu saya masih kelas 6 SD, saya ingat saya lari, terburu-buru, untuk bisa nonton Nadia Hutagalung membacakan surat-surat yang me-request video clip di MTV Most Wanted (benar kan nama acaranya itu?). Saya ingat Nadia membaca surat berbentuk kapal Titanic. Saya ingat kebanggaannya karena berdarah Batak. Saya ingat ketika MTV Asia dikuasai oleh orang Indonesia: Nadia Hutagalung, Jamie Aditia dan Sarah Sechan. Awesome.

Dan sekarang, sekitar lebih dari satu abad kemudian, setelah saya melewati begitu banyak fase kehidupan, Nadia masih sama: sangat cantik dan stylish. Seakan-akan, untuk Nadia, waktu tidak bergerak. Sama sekali.

18 Aug 2011

Snap on the go: Eko Nugroho, the artist


Snapped by : Laila

Eko Nugroho, snapped at Ark Gallery, Jakarta.

When Laila took the picture, he was exhibiting his artwork titled "This Republic Need More Semeleh". Eko is one of Indonesia's best contemporary artist, and regardless of his age, he has managed to join exhibitions around the world, pontificating political sarcasm in his artworks with strong comical graphic influence.

And, oh, he's also stylish.

Ketika Laila mengambil gambar ini, Eko sedang menjelaskan karyanya yang berjudul "This Republic Need More Semeleh". Eko merupakan salah satu seniman kontemporer terbaik yang dimiliki Indonesia. Usia muda bukan halangan untuk Eko. Dia telah mengikuti berbagai pameran kesenian di dunia, dengan karya seni yang dipengaruhi komik, yang juga kental dengan kritik politik.

Dan, anyway, gaya berpakaiannya Eko juga keren.

17 Aug 2011

Snap on the go: apa merah (putih) mu?


Snapped by: Annisa

Untuk tim The Blanc Notes, Merah Putih berarti tidak menyerah berburu foto street style dan juga meliput berbagai kegiatan industri fashion Indonesia :)


at Part One Edward Hutabarat: Reflection, after show.
The Atrium, Sampoerna Strategic Square, Jakarta.

15 Aug 2011

Snap on the go: floral fans


Snapped by: Annisa

at Part One Edward Hutabarat: Reflection, after show.
The Atrium, Sampoerna Strategic Square, Jakarta.

Snapped abroad: the science of cool


Snapped by : Laila

One is not required to be young to be cool.
It needs to be in your blood.
Breathe it, live it.
*dramatic effect*

Tidak harus muda untuk gaya.
Yang penting rasa itu harus mengalir di darah, di udara yang kau hirup.
*lebai*

14 Aug 2011

Talk of the Blog: Arnold Teja

click on the image for a better view

Interview by Astriani and Annisa
Image: courtesy of Arnold Teja

13 Aug 2011

Snap on the go: boys oh boys



Snapped by : Laila

Alex Siregar and Dana Maulana
Snapped at Casa, Kemang, Jakarta

11 Aug 2011

10 Aug 2011

View from the Row: All Hail Edward Hutabarat


Pictures and words by: Annisa

It was almost always impossible for most Indonesians to imagine batik on summer dresses, let alone bikini tops. But Edward Hutabarat did. Batik has always been erroneously linked with formal attire, and even the current movement of ‘casual’ batik is only ‘casual’ for office wear. And along came “Part One Edward Hutabarat: Reflection” collection.

It kicked out stereotypical design of batik out of its sacred sanctum.

9 Aug 2011

6 Aug 2011

Sneak peek: CLARA and The Kallas


Snapped by: Laila & Annisa

About a couple weeks ago, The Blanc Notes team had a chance to watch (and learn) the process of a photo shoot, CLARA Magazine's photo shoot, to be exact. The magazine team were busy interviewing and taking pictures of the loving, warm Kalla family, while we were snappin' and snoopin' around. Enjoy, kiddos :)

Beberapa minggu yang lalu, tim The Blanc notes diajak untuk mengikuti (dan juga mempelajari) proses photoshoot-nya Majalah CLARA. Waktu tim majalah CLARA sibuk wawancara dan memotret (secara profesional) keluarga Kalla, yang sangat menyenangkan, kita sih sok sok motretin ala behind-the-scene gitu dech. Yuuuk mariii...

5 Aug 2011

3 Aug 2011

Snap on the go: eccentric jacket


Snapped by : Laila

Zaidy a.k.a. Edy, who does gazillion of projects, but his latest baby is the male clothing line, Goodfellas.
Snapped at Casa / Aksara Kemang

2 Aug 2011

1 Aug 2011

View from the Row: Itang Yunasz' East to Middle East


Pictures and words by : Laila

This mini-fashion show of Itang Yunasz was truly a labour of love—it was prepared in just one month, while the designer just held his major show last year, and was not exactly planning for another one this year. So why did he go for it?