The Review About Traditional Chinese Opera Costumes

It seems that lots of bento makers in the world are making rabbit theme bento to celebrate the Chinese New Year. I really don't know why but somehow I don't have the right mood to join the bandwagon although I still want to make something special to celebrate this coming Chinese New Year.

While looking for an inspiration I stumbled upon some images of Chinese opera figures and they immediately caught my interest. I don't know much about Chinese opera. I've watched it on many different occasions but could not understand them at all but I really appreciate the art form, the intricacies of the costume and their facial makeup, and the discipline of all the actors to perform such elaborate tasks.

To honor the art form it's fitting for me to make an elaborate character of the Chinese opera costumes to match the actual intricacies of the real costume. The hardest part was to figure out how to cut all the parts and layering them together. After it'd figured out then came the cutting. With lots of parts we could not cut all the parts first and then assembled them one by one. The right thing to do was cutting the base first and then we go up each layer and immediately putting them together and after all the big parts been cut it's time to finish up the small parts which was easy since most of them were circles.

In total we have 65 parts to make this character. I'm quite pleased with the overall result, definitely the hardest character I've ever done, maybe next time I came up with something more in the future.

The bento filling was like the usual mine; strawberry, corn, broccoli chunks, mandarin orange on the left side and fried chicken tulips, beef sausage, tofu sandwich, and rabbit quail egg (for the Chinese New Year 2011 theme) on the right side. The rabbit quail egg was made with quail egg and roasted almond slices for its ears, very easy to make.

If anyone wants to check more about the Chinese opera, there've been many Chinese or HK movies that tell the story of people in Chinese opera troupe but one particular movie that really stands out is Farewell My Concubine, starring the late Leslie Cheung. The only Chinese language film to ever win the prestigious Palm d’Or and voted as the most favorite Chinese movie of the century, it's one of my favorite movie of all time, I really recommend everyone to watch this movie.

Hollywood Costume Exhibition Is Quite A Beautiful World

The V & A are holding a blockbuster exhibition called Hollywood Costume exhibition, so if you are an ardent fashionista, this is one place that's definitely worth visiting to see some of the sexiest dresses that have ever hit our screens being displayed in a wonderful way.

There are frocks the silver screen icon Marilyn Monroe wore in the unforgettable film, Some Like It Hot, including the amazing cocktail dress that John Orry-Kelly, the legendary dress designer, created just for the star. Incredibly, Marilyn Monroe came across as one meaty lady but when seeing her dresses, visitors may be just a little shocked to see how tiny her creations really are.

The exhibition is considered to be the most exciting events since the superb Treasures of Tutankhamun hit London back in the seventies. It promises to be heaven for all film fans and cinephiles alike.

The way the exhibition has been set up makes it more than just some amazing dresses placed on dummies for the world to see. The event takes place in three rooms all of which are lit to have the maximum effect on the clothes. There are great soundtracks and each of the outfits is displayed below a screen where the stars of the movies read out their lines creating a great environment for the costumes to be displayed in.

But there are not just sexy dresses at the exhibition, there are clothes that Harrison Ford wore in the Raiders of the Lost Ark included in the exhibition too. There's heaps of information about the outfits too – for instance, not many know that Harrison's leather jacket was made to look old and distressed by using Ford's penknife and a sheet or two of sandpaper.

The exhibition promises to keep people intrigued with superman and catwoman costumes hovering over their heads as they wander around the exhibition. One of the displays has the superb pink-feathered corset that Nicole Kidman wore in the movie Moulin Rouge, sitting on a swing that's cleverly suspended from the ceiling in one of the rooms.

Many of the costumes on display were rescued by serious collectors over the years. These wonderful outfits have been given on loan to the organisers for this special and unique exhibition at the V & A. With gorgeous, sexy dresses worn by Marilyn Monroe including of course, the white halterneck she wore in the movie 'The Seven Year Itch' – now you can't get sexier than that!

The whole exhibition is a wonderful walk-through in time of sexy dresses, fabulously designed exotic creations and stylish gowns that Audrey Hepburn wore like a glove in the film Breakfast At Tiffany's. But then there is Dorothys' red dress and shoes from the Wizard of Oz – which is the first time these have ever left the Smithsonian Institution in America to be on display in a foreign land. All in all there are 131 costumes and outfits on display in what has to be one of the most well planned exhibitions of all times.

You Can View These Beautiful Pop Stars' Wedding Dresses

When we think of weddings, we will think of Vera Wang at first. Which is all the more impressive when you realize that Vera Wang has only been designing for brides since the early 1990′s. All the ladies in the world all want to own a Vera Wang wedding dress. There are some pop stars who have chosen Vera Wang wedding dresses which are different styles.

Khloe Kardashian

Khloe wore a form-fitting, strapless A-line wedding grown with a lavender sash when she wed Lamar Odom after a whopping one month of dating.

Jessica Simpson

10 years ago, Jessica wed Nick Lachey wed traditional church ceremony in Austin, TX. The bride wore a custom, strapless beaded Vera Wang.

Avril Lavigne

People were taken aback when Avril played it classy in a shinning princess wedding dress at her 2006 wedding to Sum 41 frontman Deryk Whibley.

Alicia Keyes

Alicia Keyes was absolutely radiant when she wed rapper/producer Swiss Beatz in a maternity style one shoulder Vera gown at her wedding at a private home in the Mediterranean.

Hilary Duff

Hilar's Vera Wang looks suspiciously similar to one of Kim Kardashian's wedding dresses. The ex-Disney starlet wore this slinky little number when she wed her hockey star beau Mike Comrie in 2010.

Clothing Cosmetics Lines From The Movie

It's not uncommon for products associated with big-budget movies to be on the market several months before the film hits theaters, and Memoirs of a Geisha is no different.
But you won't find them tucked into fast-food kids' meals or children's toy shops. Instead of plastic, the items inspired by this movie are made of rich velvet and satin and invoke a world of luxury.
In a confluence of art and commerce, the romantic epic that opens today depicting a young girl blossoming into a legendary geisha has also become a style - one found in Banana Republic, Bath & Body Works, and high-end department stores.

"We see this collection very much appealing to our customers," explained Deborah Lloyd, executive vice president of design for Banana Republic. "They appreciate fashion, art, and cultures from around the world and this film, as well as the collection, combines all three."
Based on Arthur Golden's bestselling novel, Memoirs of a Geisha tells the story of a young girl who was taken from her home and sold into slavery to a renowned geisha house. She transforms as she learns the arts of the geisha, including dance and music, wearing kimono, and elaborate makeup and hair.
The film acknowledges that her life is sometimes dark. But what shines through on the big screen are the colors and costumes, images nothing short of glamorous.
"What we wanted to create for the film was a sensual feeling using the traditional
Japanese kimono as our key starting point," said Academy Award winning costume designer Colleen Atwood in a phone interview. "We took the creation of the kimono and changed it to make it something that the modern, western audience would relate to."
These less traditional and more universal items are what filmgoers may find familiar if they've recently been to a shopping mall.
The Banana Republic limited-edition collection appeared in select stores and online in November. It includes a silk floral kimono top ($88), Asian tassel necklaces ($58), and a satin kimono dress ($168).
At Bath & Body Works a special display is dedicated to products such as a Rice Face Wash ($32), Flower Petal Mask ($35), and Shimmer Powder with Crushed Pearls ($38). Created by the cosmetic and skin care company Fresh, the collection is inspired by the film and arrived in stores in September. The products can also be found online and in stores such as Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Sephora.
The food industry was not to be left out, and from The Republic of Tea comes Cherry Green Tea ($10), which features the film's star, Ziyi Zhang, on the packaging. The Japanese Sencha green tea is available at natural grocery and gourmet food shops.
And Tonner Dolls, which has offered everything from Wizard of Oz dolls to miniature Harry Potters, plans to introduce a Geisha collection soon. The Sayuri limited edition doll ($175) depicts a geisha in a silver kimono, custom embroidered to match the film's costume.
Noel Palomo-Lovinski, an assistant professor at Kent State University's School of Fashion, Design and Merchandising, said fashion has often been inspired by a costume designer's vision in a movie. Dating to the 1930s, glamorous styles seen on the big screen often made their way - in less expensive forms - to the department stores, she said.
"They liked it in the movies and it sold in the stores," Ms. Palomo-Lovinski said. "You get people to buy it because they saw it in the movie and you get people to go see the movie because they like the style."
A teacher of design history and popular culture, Ms. Palomo-Lovinski said selling the public on Asian-inspired designs likely has been easy. Similar to animal prints and metallics, it something that "just keeps coming back," she said.
Banana Republic officials said it is the "rich colors and luxurious fabrications" that keep designers intrigued by eastern-inspired styles.

Costume Designer Colleen Atwood: I Could Not Have Come Up With Anything Better

Incorporating all of the goth creepiness one expects from Burton, the film showcases the talent of costume designer Colleen Atwood in creating eccentric fashions from the buttoned-up 1790s and the campy 1970s.

Costume designer Colleen Atwood was more than up to the challenge after numerous previous collaborations with director Tim Burton (her efforts for the director's"Alice in Wonderland" earned her a 2010 Academy Award). This time around, instead of going down the rabbit hole, her challenge was to bring a touch of 18th century style to the coastal Maine of the Me Decade in a way that didn't alienate fans of the original gothic television soap opera, which became a cult classic during its run from 1966 to 1970.

Tim Burton's big-screen remake of "Dark Shadows" might not be everyone's cup of fresh AB-Negative, but since it reunited the director not only with Johnny Depp but with another frequent collaborator -- three-time Academy Award-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood -- on a period movie set in 1972, we knew the costumes would be a rich vein to tap indeed.

My Q&A with Atwood about the costume inspirations (which include everything from a Virginia Slims ad to David Bailey books and DIY crafts) and the provenance of some of the key wardrobe pieces appears in this Sunday's Image section.

Among the things we learned from Atwood? Apparently American heads circa 1972 were a wee bit smaller, something she said made it challenging once she'd found the right vintage sunglasses for the characters.

"And, once I found the perfect pair for Johnny [Depp] I needed to get several pair made -- since he's a principal," she told us. "And I couldn't find anyone here willing to do it. Finally, when I got to London, I found someone there who would rise to the occasion."

For the '70s-inspired costumes, Atwood supplemented her memories of that trendy time with period magazine images. For instance, Eva Green's vengeful witch, Angelique, wears costumes reminiscent of a Virginia Slims cigarette ad. "My inspirations were also Ossie Clark, Biba and early YSL pantsuits -- very sleek women's tailoring."

Achieving cult status - Madonna's also a big fan - Dark Shadows has rarely been off American TV screens ever since.

The actor who many feel was the main reason Dark Shadows reached 20 million viewers in its hey day was leading man Jonathan Frid, who makes a cameo in Burton's movie, saying hello to Johnny at a party. And goodbye to Barnabas Collins, the character he had made him famous, and who was now being channeled by the biggest movie star in the world.

It's a moment made all the more moving by the fact that Jonathan Frid passed away in April, at the ripe old age of 87.

"It certainly adds a whole new layer to his cameo," says Atwood. "And to the movie itself. The love that was there for Jonathan when he shot his scene with Johnny was so apparent, and I'm sure he felt that. To have this big movie star treat you like an idol, that's got to feel pretty good..."

For Frid, that day on set must have also felt like a sort of homecoming, given that three of his former co-stars from the TV series - Lara Parker, Kathryn Leigh Scott and David Selby - were also there for their turns as party guests.
"They were like this dysfunctional family, all meeting up after years of not talking to one another," smiles Atwood. "So, that was emotional to begin with. The nomadic life of the actor often sees people being very, very close during a shoot, and then just not seeing each other again after that. I'm just so glad Jonathan - who was very frail on the set - lived to have this special reunion. He was so excited that the movie was coming out..."

As for Michelle Pfeiffer, who plays the grand dame of the Collins family, she's stuck in an 18th century time warp. "She is very ladylike and still dresses for dinner, telegraphing the family's affluent past," says Atwood. Her costumes are a mix of newly made and vintage, including a black chiffon high-necked dress the costume designer discovered at a Los Angeles thrift store.

Says Atwood: "I could not have come up with anything better. Of course, it fit her perfectly, as everything does."