The Last Day of the Decade: A Reflection

  (Photo: Reuters/Corbis)

It's going to be 2010 in several hours from the time when I write this post and I feel the need to reflect on how the decade of 2000s have been and what kind of impacts those years bring to our lives. I know a lot of people in media have written this and that about the 2000s. Some have called it the aughties or, even, the aughties naughties. Time dubbed the last ten years as "The Decade from Hell," due to the countless crises we face. While the Entertainment Weekly beg to differ from its sister publication by showcasing the best entertainers of the decade, including Johnny Depp, Beyoncé, and Tina Fey. And I bet there are many others who decide what is the best and worst of the 2000s, including, well, me. So, please let me, in this decade’s last day, to reflect on some of the events that I think have completely change our lives. It is to be considered that there is a very wide range of things to discuss here: politics, economy, technology, fashion, music, movies, etc. So, I guess I will just write those that fascinate me the most. Enjoy.

1) The Magic of Internet

Could you imagine how we live today without the Internet? It seems we are connected more than ever. Every information we want is just one click away. And in the last half of the decade, we see the invention of Facebook and Twitter; both have changed our notion of communication. There is also YouTube, where videos—from cute pet videos to Susan Boyle singing “I Dreamed a Dream” to the death of Neda Agha-Soltan, an Iranian protester—go viral. One of other greatest inventions is Google, of course, which has become the most famous new verb of the decade.

Nonetheless, the Internet also poses some challenges to the traditional media, i.e, the print media. Newspapers and magazines started to lose their readers and, hence, their advertisers, forcing them to close down. But some of them have also utilized the so-called “New Media” by starting their own Web sites and producing their online versions, for which readers have to pay a small amount of money. Speaking of media, the Internet has also released the inner journalists in each and everyone of us. Blogs—like this very one you are reading now—are popping up. Even CNN created a show called iReport where “citizen journalists” can share their findings to the world. Internet has irrevocably changed our ways of living and we are waiting for many changes in the years to come.

2) The So-Called “Post-9/11” World: Wars, Economic Fallout, and the Environment

We all know that something terrible happened on September 11, 2001. This event, thanks to Mr. Bush, has led to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, where the United States is trying to stop the Al-Qaeda and its networks. A hard job, I presume, since those terrorists are scattered around—it is the “asymmetric” war on terror. Fast-forward to Obama’s election in 2008—that image of him and Michelle and their two kids on his winning night on November 4, 2008, is unforgettable—the American troops in Iraq will be withdrawn, yet recently there is a surge in Afghanistan, which according to General Stanley McChrystal, the top US commander there, is necessary to actually banish Taliban insurgents and Al-Qaeda itself. Many are afraid that Afghanistan will be the new Vietnam, but only time can answer if the surge will be worth it to win the war. The Obama Administration has made some right decisions, in my opinion, for example, in closing Guantanamo. But he still has a long laundry list of problems to tackle.

One of those problems is apparently the financial and economic meltdown that is caused, among others, the failure of the real-estate market and the greediness of the Wall Street executives. People around the world are losing their jobs, industries are closed, and so on. It’s a hard time, although some analysts see that we start to recover from the recession.

Other things that capture our focus is natural disasters that happen throughout the globe, from the Asian tsunami of 2004 that killed more than 200,000 people to Hurricane Katrina to the endless earthquakes in my own country, Indonesia. I don’t want to get too philosophical here, but if I may say so, these could be the sign from above for us to be more sensitive to the environment surrounding us. The topic of climate change is being discussed everywhere because it is clear that the real threats of it are looming before our eyes. Unfortunately, it’s still so hard for all countries in the world to make a certain agreement on how to reduce greenhouse gas emission, which is the main culprit of this environmental blow. The last UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen has produced an unsatisfactory result. My answer to this dilemma is this, cliché maybe, but realistic: Let’s start from ourselves. Just start from small things: switch off lights when not in use, use public transportation, use both sides of paper. On the other hand, we also must push our respective government to do something about this. You know, the civil society movement is one of the most influential parts to change this world, and you and I are part of them.

To borrow from Andy Serwer in his Time article, “The ‘00s: Goodbye (at Last) to the Decade from Hell,” there are four reasons why this so-called post-9/11 world has gone pretty bad: Neglect, Greed, Self-interest, and Deferral of Responsibility. If we all want to see a better decade in the future, let’s renew ourselves and refresh our perception of the world and our lives in it.

3) Entertainment at Its Best

Now, after talking about the gloomy side of the decade, I think it would be better to talk the lighter and more fun side, that is, the entertainment world. It is like a conventional wisdom that when you talk about entertainment, you have to talk about movies, television, music, and books, so I will just tell you my version of “The Best of the Decade” of each. Feel free to give your own versions in the comment!

Nico’s Pick: The Best of the Decade

Movie: Avatar

Yes, it’s new and it even just opened several weeks before 2010, but seriously, it is the best movie in this decade. See my previous post for proof.

Television: Confused…

No, it’s not a TV show title, it’s just me who is confused on how to determine the best TV show. Let me just say there are several I like the most: Ugly Betty, American Idol, Desperate Housewives, 30 Rock, and Damages. Some of them sound corny, of course, but it is definitely what I need from TV to refresh myself: a nice scandalous, guilty-pleasure show. (Although I also watch “serious” channels, like CNN!)

Music: Beyoncé

Who in this world is not tempted to shake their booty when they hear the addictive rhythm of “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”? Yes, people, Mrs. Jay-Z has brought music to a whole new different level with her amazing voice and even more amazing dance routine. According to a survey, there are 103 “Single Ladies” video parodies on YouTube, and a lot of people have also memorized this unforgettable dance (including me…). It seems we all have to agree with Kanye: “Beyoncé has one of the best videos of all time.” I think my other favorite, Madonna, should be careful if she doesn’t want to be toppled off from the Queen of Pop throne.

Alternative Pick for Music: Phoenix

I’m trying to have a wider taste, music-wise, and I always search for new band. The best of them is Phoenix, which I know for the first time in the page of Vogue (surprise!). Their album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is a revelation. “1901” and “Lisztomania” are definitely the catchiest tunes of this year.

Book: the Harry Potter series

The adventure of the Boy Who Lived in seven books? Enough said.

4) The Decade of Style

Since I’ve made it official that I’m the ultimate fashion aficionado, I will betray my own self if not talking about it here. There have been a lot of things going on, of course. In early 2000s, when Tom Ford was still the designer of Gucci and later YSL Rive Gauche, he redefined the notion of women’s fashion by making it more fresh and sexier (with a hint of vulgarism here and there). Now, he is developing his own Tom Ford brand, the most coveted men’s line—and the most expensive. Not to mention, Mr. Ford also ventures into the movie business by directing a critically-acclaimed movie, A Single Man.

Okay, now back to fashion, we see a lot of European houses being reinvigorated by younger talents, most notably Nicolas Ghesquière at Balenciaga, Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton, Stefano Pilati at Yves Saint Laurent, Alber Elbaz at Lanvin, and Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy. While, at the same time, there are also a lot  of young designers who design their own labels who make it big in the United States, like Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler, Rodarte’s Mulleavy sisters, Jason Wu (he’s the one who designed Michelle Obama’s ball gown in the Inauguration night), Christopher Kane, Alexander Wang, and Thakoon Panichgul (excuse me for the excessive name-dropping here). It has been a colorful decade for fashion, and I cannot wait to see what is coming up next.

There you have it, the flashback of the 00s. I realize there are still so many things I haven't covered yet, so any of your comment will be very welcomed here. Happy New Year (and Decade), everyone!!!

Dazzled at the Cinema

 Yesterday, out of bore from holiday, I decided to go out and watched a movie. What movie? Why, Avatar, of course. Obviously, there has been a lot of buzz in the media about this particular movie, and from what I can see, every review seems to be leaning on the positive side. I guess a lot of critics raved on how beautiful this film is, especially when you watched its 3D version, and it's only fitting that I chose to watch this version. 

And, man, it is so damn awesome! To quote David Denby from the New Yorker, Avatar is "the most beautiful film I've seen in years." Okay, before I delve too deep into this amazing spectacle, let me share some plot of this James Cameron-directed film for the uninitiated. 

So basically, the story is set in the year of 2154, when humans—with all the technological advancements—have found a planet called Pandora. It is rich of Unobtainium (Quite a joke here. Unobtainium. Got it?), an energy-yielding mineral that sells for 20 million dollars per kilogram. We, the Earthlings , as usual, got all hungry and decide to go to Pandora. Corporates, supported by military contractors—à la Blackwater—then establish a base on the planet. 

This place is inhabited by the native clan, the Na'vi, the human-like creatures, which are ten-feet tall and blue-skinned. In order to do some kind of diplomacy, so that the Na'vi would let humans harvest their mineral, the "avatars" (the hybrid of human and Na'vi) are created by feeding people's DNA into the Na'vi's body. One of the man who happens to be chosen to participate in the Avatar program is Jack Sully (played by the charming newcomer Sam Worthington), a paraplegic ex-Marine. When he becomes a "Na'vi" through his own avatar, he will be able to walk and run again, exploring the lush and magnificent Pandora. His first encounter with a native is when he meets a female Na'vi, Neytiri (Zoë Saldana). As the story unfolds, Jack is faced by a dilemma: he's working for his fellow humans, but deep inside, his feeling toward the people of Pandora gets deeper and emotional. I won't reveal anymore plot here, for fear of spoiler, although I think the ending is quite predictable.

Nevertheless, there is one more important thing than the plot itself, that is the cinematography. Cameron's brilliance twelve years ago in Titanic is being surpassed by himself in this film. His impeccable mix of live-action and CGI animation is breathtaking. Seeing the beautiful wildlife of Pandora and, on the other hand, the brutality of the splattering bullets from the military's gun machines is otherworldly, especially in 3D. This is special-effects extravaganza at its best.

Moreover, I think there are some hidden political messages in Avatar, too. When you see the military force getting into Pandora, Iraq or Afghanistan instantly comes to mind. Some critics do say that Avatar is the metaphor for the US military endeavors in the world right now. For example, there are the aspect of "winning hearts and minds" of the locals, as evident by the diplomatic efforts of the avatars. As an International Relations student, I was also stunned at how "IR" this movie is, in some respect. Like, when I heard Colonel Miles Quatrich (the head of SecFor, played by Stephen Lang) mentioning "preemptive strike," I suddenly recall my International Law class assignment from a month back. These all make Avatar really interesting for me.

So, you might have known what I will tell you next, right? You MUST see this movie. If you can watch its 3D version, it will be better. Your money spent will be worth every cent of it. And when you see a pair of eyes snap open in the last scene, you have officially been a witness to one of the most unforgettable movies of all time.

FLASHBACK: One Coat, Please

(Originally published on April 6, 2009)
In cold-climate countries, coat is a necessity in your wardrobe. But in hot places, like in Indonesia where I live, wearing a coat can seem to only make you sweat more. However, why not reconsider and rethink about wearing one.

Coats have many varieties—those which are very thick (and maybe lined with furs) that is only possible to be worn in frozen temperature, and those made with thin fabrics that can help us, the “tropical” people, from getting soaked by rain or maybe from chilly wind at night. The latter category is, apparently, what I’m advising if you want to wear one.

In one of the articles inside the April 2009 issue of GQ (you can check the article at http://www.gq.com/how-to/fashion/200903/zachary-quinto-spock-star-trek-raincoat), you can find that there are also a lot of varieties of coats in terms of shapes—from the simple mac to stylish and elegant trench.

Christopher Bailey, the creative director of Burberry—the brand that is well-known for its great trench coats smacked with British edge—reinvented the coats for the new generation of blokes. Lots of the coats for his Fall 2009 collection are surprisingly boxy, especially when worn by stick-thin models, and have huge lapels. But, maybe it is just for the runway’s sake. Burberry still makes great classic khaki trench, though—with the expensive price tag entails. Well, I’m not advocating any big-spending attitude here (even if you could, it would seem wrong, given the economic climate); you can always find some great bargain pieces.

Christopher Bailey of Burberry

The Burberry's signature khaki trench coat in Fall 2009 collection

Runway to Real Life:

Since I assume that most of you are living in hot climate places, if you want to wear coat, like I said before, pick those with thin fabrics but that can still warm you up, though. And, remember, weather condition matters: you can wear coat when it’s raining or when it’s chilly/cold, like at night. Wearing one under scorching sun rays and you’ll be a clown. 

FLASHBACK: Michelle vs. Carla: Who Will Win?

(Originally published on April 6, 2009)
In the present time, there are maybe just two First Ladies that really catch our attention: Michelle Obama of the U.S. and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy of France. If we are going to look back to each woman’s lives, it’s just like day and night. Obama is a Harvard Law graduate who paved her way from her humble childhood life in South Chicago into being a succesful, high-earning career woman. Meanwhile, Bruni-Sarkozy’s past life is full of glitz and glamour. She was famous for being one of the supermodels of the ‘90s, not to mention, her nude photographs.

But there is one thing that characterizes both: fashionable. They both love great clothes and they are featured in the March 2009 issue of Vogue—although Michelle reigns supreme by being on the cover. Last Friday, they met each other for the first time in the midst of the 60th NATO anniversary celebration in Strasbourg, France. Michelle wore a floral coat by Thakoon, while Carla was going back to basic by wearing a simple Dior suit. Both look great, of course, but, still, their respective style is unique. Michelle tends to be experimental by adding some pop of color and prints to her ensemble, like the bright yellow dress she wore when arriving in London. Carla’s style, on the other hand, becomes more demure, soigné, and ladylike, befitting the wife of one of the most influential men in the world.

So, who is winning this style competition? You decide.

FLASHBACK: In Defense of Ethical and Eco-Friendly Fashion

(Originally published on June 25, 2009)

Lately, everybody is proclaiming green movement in most parts of the world. From carpooling to recycling, everything is being done to reduce harm to our suffering environment, to avert the—to borrow from Al Gore—“inconvenient truth” that we are facing global warming threat. And this eco-friendly thing has found its place in the fashion realm.

Just several years ago—and, well, still now—the stylish bourgeoisies are spending their cash on items like fur, crocodile belt, and others, which can reach a six-digit price tag. Not only that, fashion magazines around the world also encouraged this kind of lifestyle, notably, Vogue, whose editor-in-chief Anna Wintour is almost always spotted wearing some versions of fur and was, for a very long time, the main target of PETA’s (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) anger.

But now, given the climate—the meteorological and the financial ones—spending money on the aforementioned stuffs is not a responsible act to do. It is time to embrace the new lifestyle, fashion-wise: Ethical and Eco-Friendly.

The Ethical fashion means that you are buying fashion products that are produced through a humane procedure. Fur and some other animal materials definitely don’t fall into this category. To make, say, a chincilla fur coat, you will need more than fifty (!) chincillas, and how they are killed is an unlikely sight. Most of the time, these animals are hunted in wildlife, and trapped, and, even, electrocuted. This is totally inhumane and by keeping on doing it, the ecosystem will be broken down because those irresponsible actors have broken the natural food chain.

I’m not saying that we cannot wear clothes or accessories made from animal—I’m not a vegan—but I’m encouraging you to avoid buying things that are made not from farmed animals because for the most part, the production process is very inhumane and clearly unethical. I still think it’s okay to wear leather jacket and accessories.

Besides about the animal material, ethical fashion also means that the whole production process ensures the welfare of the labors making it. Labors in the Third World countries are usually having some kind of “hidden slavery,” where they are pushed to work outside of their limitations. It has to be made loud and clear to the fashion company, especially, the fashion-chain that hires a lot of labors in poor countries (e.g.: Gap, Zara) to revise their labor policy and treat their labors ethically. Besides the labor, it also applies to the material producer, such as cotton farmer. Topman, a famous UK menswear fashion-chain, uses Fairtrade cotton in some of its products which, it claims, “guarantees a better deal for Third World Producers.”

Meanwhile, the Eco-Fashion refers to products that are made from materials that will not harm the environment, namely, the organic materials. The material can range from the fabric, such as cotton, to the dye used in the production. The organic cotton, for instance, is grown without the use of pesticides at all, which, obviously, is friendlier to the environment.

Cameron Diaz on June 2009 Vogue (Mario Testino)

The action must surely be taken. In recent months, Vogue has published a monthly article called “Style Ethics” where eco-ethical fashion is shown. Moreover, in its June 2009 issue, the cover story that stars the Green Queen of Hollywood, Cameron Diaz, showcases her wearing organic fashion. This could be a sign that slowly, but surely, ethical and eco-friendly fashion will reign supreme. I hope that this is not just another trend, but rather, a real lifestyle change that can transport us to a better—and still stylish—world in the future.

THE (MUCH DELAYED) COMEBACK

I’m back, people! Several years ago, I tried to start a blog, but I’m not sure what happened, it has fallen apart ever since. I’m an ardent fan of fashion and would like to be a magazine editor in the future so I guess I have to write a lot from now, improving my penmanship for my future readers. And I ended up writing some posts on my Facebook notes about fashion and was quite content about that. But then, I saw these endless streams of fashion bloggers from every part of the world, such as Tavi, Bryanboy, Jane Aldridge (seaofshoes.com), Scott Schuman (thesartorialist.com). All of whom have gained huge recognitions in the world of fashion, got invited to some of the greatest designers’ fashion shows, showed up inside well-known fashion magazines—not to mention they also got all these “perks” in the form of expensive clothes.

It seems time has changed. With great technology we have now, information is moving faster and reaching a wider audience. It looks like we can never get enough of the latest scoop coming from Copenhagen to Kabul. We want to acquire all the knowledge we can have NOW. We have become the unquenchable info junkie. The aforementioned fashion bloggers are one of the fitting examples of this. They voiced their thoughts about a collection just minutes after the runway show through their blogs. Tavi wrote about how amazing the spring 2010 Rodarte collection was. Some of them even set their own trends. Jane Aldrige, for instance, posts photos of herself, clad in the most stylish (and expensive) ensemble one could ever imagine. Meanwhile, Scott Schuman gives us an insight on the most fashionable streets in the world, be it in Paris or New York, through his amazing photography.

I have to admit a thing here: I want to be like them. I love fashion and I love to write about it. So I decided now that I will restart my blog again, write a hell lot, and hopefully, get the same recognition as my fellow bloggers. Well, I don’t want to dream too big about it, either. I just want this blog to be a medium where a lot of people will be interested in my posts, and enjoy them.

Maybe a lot of you who read this haven’t known me yet. So, it might be apt if I introduce myself first at this debut post in my blog.  My name is Nico and I’m 19. Currently, I study International Relations at the University of Indonesia and as I have told you earlier, I’m very keen on fashion. My biggest dream is to work at Vogue, a magazine that is dearest to my heart. Maybe some of you are wondering, Why does this guy study International Relations when he wants to work at fashion magazine? Well, to be honest with you all, I’m not only interested in fashion, but I’m also a keen observer of international affairs—politics, economy, et al. I do care about what happens in the world around us. And I think, through my study, I get a better understanding of how our world really works. Why wars happen, how to achieve peace, who is responsible for the climate change, etc., etc. It is very interesting for me to learn all of that.

Fashion was at first just an interest or hobby of me. I started buying fashion magazines when I was about 16. When I pore hungrily over those beautifully crafted images of great creations, I feel a great sense of appreciation. Ooh, look at this! It’s so beautiful! How on earth can they make this insane-looking, yet wonderful [insert types of clothing or accessories here]?! Look at the model’s expression! She/He is so captivating! What a great styling! How great this photo is!!! I can read this article over and over again! What a great and witty writing!

Seriously, I can mumble like that throughout an entire magazine. But I don’t just want to be a consumer, so to speak. I want to be a part of those “magicmakers.” I want to create something beautiful and captivating for the world to look at or to read at—especially since I’m more interested in being a fashion writer, although come to think of it, I would not balk at the opportunity to be a fashion stylist. Fashion is part of our world, right? And although I rarely see fashion being discussed in my class (except when they got into this batik talk, or when somebody got thrown out of class because he wears sandals instead of shoes. You know who you are… Sorry!), I can somehow try to connect the thing that I study with the thing I love the most. For example, when the world economy is in crisis, this would affect the fashion business. People lose their jobs (and, hence, their income), demands for fashion decrease, fashion designers lose their money and close their business (this is not only faced by those young up-starts, mind you, but also by some of the most storied name in fashion, like M. Christian Lacroix, who was forced to close his haute couture collection due to the recession). As a result, the world is losing yet another creative people.

The much-beloved M. Lacroix and what is deemed to be his final collection (Style.com)

 Another example is when the Iraq War happened, a lot of designers’ collection became—to borrow from the words of Anna Wintour, Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief—“militant.” They put some military elements in their collections as a form of social critiques toward the reckless policy of W.

Yes, these relations are not somehow direct, but you can see how the fashion world is actually quite sensitive to the state of the world. Okay, there are the glitzy and glamorous sides of this world, but behind every collection, the fashion designers are trying to speak about their feeling toward our chaotic world. Miuccia Prada, for instance, is known to be one of the fashion intellectuals, because there is always this philosophical debate behind every clothes she made. Prada thought of her latest collection as the representation of “how life is today,” visualizes through a collection of And she also declared that “When things are bad [the state of the world, that is, recession and all], you have to come out from that. Optimism is a choice.” So, fashion can be smart, too, you know. We are trying to relate to the so-called “real world.” But, fashion can also be a great distraction from the world we live in. Amidst the wars, the crises here and there, fashion exists to make the world more beautiful.

Prada Spring 2010 (Style.com)

There, I rest my case. And after this post, you will see some “flashbacks” of my early-days writing: several notes from my Facebook, which I know are old, but I hope they will still interest you. I will not write just about fashion, but anyting that I’m interested in, from music to movie to politics. You know what they say, a great writer can write about anything with great style and wit. Now, I’m crossing my fingers, hoping that this blog will one day make its way to the top.