We leave for Paris today. I'm packing light but there's some essentials I just can't forget. 
"Le Fouet"
12:08 PM
5:53 PM
You know, it's still a huge deal for me to be all like "Oh yeah, I'm going to New York for a photoshoot in the morning" - seriously! I hope I never get all jaded and spoiled by my amazing life here and stop appreciating the fact that I am 1.5 hours away from the Big Apple in the Saigon Limo and that we know the most amazing fucking people there. After pulling our crazy all-nighter we were out of this joint at 8.30 am. We took our neighbour Michelle with us, stylist/Saigon Girl Phelena Jean and her OGG Dad Nappa (Original Gangster, Gentleman/Grandfather, he thinks he's not a Stallion but little does he KNOW PAPA!!!), as well as Miss Saigon and myself of course.
When we got to New York we met up with our model Silq and Saigon Photographer Marlon...
Awww.... After making magic happen with a lil shoot on the riverfront we headed to the Shaolin Temple on Broadway where we met up with astonishing Shifu Shi Yan Ming, a Shaolin Master.
This guy is amazing, when we walked in there's magazine covers with this guy on the front of them everywhere (including a shared one with the RZA) and more flicks of him with celebrities like Shirley Manson, John Leguizamo and Bjork, many of whom come to Shi Yan for the best Shaolin training in America! Shi Yan's been in ads for Nike, IBM, HP, Hallmark and is the face of Chase Manhattan Bank. WOW! That's why we were so stoked to present him with his own pair of dragon-themed Saigon Customs which he additionally modelled the hell out of.
I feel bad even saying "hell" when talking about Shi Yan since the temple came with a whole lot of rules that we had to abide by which includes no profanities (I think we failed a couple of times on that one - sorry Shifu) Although I felt eerily comfortable with them all, maybe because it kind of sounded like I could have written them.
Anyways, after feeling all stoked and pleased with ourselves because of the great shoot at the temple, we bailed to get our so ho on in SoHo. Then we met a man with a cat on his head.
And this douchebag took a picture of my cleavage when I was leaning over.
DOES HE NOT LOOK LIKE SOMEBODY YOU'D SEE HANGING OUT NEAR CHILDREN'S PLAY AREAS
So I haven't posted the money shots yet as we're still finishing them but I will post them when they're done. I just want to say that we are SO appreciative to have such an incredible crew come together and work so well for us and it showed in the flow of the day (even with Miss Saigon calling Cedra "the Gestapo" for keeping us all on point and organised hahahahaa.....) Here's a whole lot of candids so y'all can feel what an amazing day it was...
Taking M.A.F.I.A.'s Pandas for a walk...
Phelena Jean getting her stylist on...
^^ da OGG Nappa!!! 
^^ This is modelling!!!
3:41 PM
= <3
(you can't see me but I've got hearts flying out of my eyes right now)
7:01 AM
THAT'S THE SACRIFICE YOU HAVE TO MAKE WHEN GETTING READY FOR A SHIT HOT SHOOT WITH A SHAOLIN MONK CALLED SHIFU!!! I'M SITTING HERE AT 7 AM ON THE DOT WAITING FOR CEDRA TO ROCK UP AND DRAG OUR SLEEP DEPRIVED ARSES TO ENWHYCEE. THERE, WE'LL REUNITE WITH OUR FAVOURITE PHOTOGRAPHER MARLON LAWE AND PRESENT HIM WITH HIS VERY OWN "JAMAICAN ME CRAZY" PAIR OF SAIGON CUSTOMS ^^. I CAN'T WAIT FOR TODAY TO BE OVERRRRRR.... SO TIRED!!!!! BUT I'M SURE IT'S GOING TO BE AR-MAZING, PROVIDED I CAN STOP SHOUTING...
12:15 PM
Wow, how good is it not only to be in an exhibition but to be sharing the place with somebody dope who's just as happy to reflect some shine onto you and your few little shelves of shoes in his amazing exhibition?
Meet succesful New York graffiti/pop artist Bobby Hill who opened his solo show yesterday at Ubiq here in Philly. Bobby is a Brooklyn-based street artist who creates a "fantastic blend of Warholian pop imagery" that's been heavily influenced by his graffiti background in the 1980's (COULD YOU POSSIBLY HAVE BETTER PEDIGREE? COULD YOU?!?!). He's also done a lot of commercial work for big clients. The show was great. We loved it! We were given a couple of shelves in the same room as his Bobbyness where we did a similar display to the one at the ISB (I never want to see another popup again, okay, I quit.) Here are some flicks of some lovers and just a hater or two (but we heart you).
7:29 AM
... to ride Kaws
...to marry the first guy I meet wearing these...
... To know if these will go the same way as the Dunkle?
... to go see the Takashi Murakami and the LiveStrong STAGES exhibitions in Paris... And I will, bitches!
... to know how many other people would feel weird rocking these odd-coloured kicks, even if they are kind of ugly-awesome?
... to know if that's really baby pink in the fill?
Most flicks via Sneaker Freaker
1:09 AM
One of the most important things I've learned during my time here at Saigon Customs is that trying to work during the day is a waste of fucking time. Ask me two months ago and I would've told you I was the world's biggest early bird, up at the crack of sparrow fart without hesitation and ready to start the day. Now I see the error of my ways: I love my life here - sleep til 11, get up, enjoy the day, eat dinner and then buckle down at about 9 o'clock (with a beer, no less!) to power through until 3-4 and get a shitload done with NO INTERRUPTIONS.
This also means that we are on top of it the second anything comes through from Australia, with a gnarly 14 hour time difference putting all of our arses on our work chairs at the same time. Thanks again to DJ M.A.F.I.A. who has been responsible for showing us a truckload of love over the past couple of weeks (I'm watching your kicks being made right now!). Once again she karm0-loads by giving us a very tidy feature on The Vine, one of the soundest blogs in Australia right now (how could it not be, with the Muff Daddy as official streetwear editor?) We like it, we like it!!
PS @ Mafia I heart you too! and it's okay about the "no shine" it's all Miss Saigon's, I am just the lowly First Apprentice and I burn too easy anyhow haha
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