WE MAY BE FILTHY, BUT DAMN IT, WE’VE STILL GOT STYLE.
Every city around the world has its own fashionable flair, and while the high-end stuff won’t squeeze into your budget (or look good crumpled in your backpack), there are thrifty ways to stay on top of the fashion pulse no matter where you find yourself. Whether you’re sporting the candy colors of Stockholm, secondhand store-hopping in NYC, or haggling down the price of leather overalls in Italy, all you need to look good abroad is a little creativity and confidence (and perhaps a hot shower).
WITH OVER 20,000 OFFICIAL
HK products on the market, and Hello Kitty-themed-fucking everything, this cat has her claws deep into the hearts (and pockets) of all of Asia, especially Hong Kong—where she has held office as the Official Ambassador of Tourism since 2008.
Born in Japan, Kitty White—street name: Hello Kitty—said konnichiwa for the first time in 1974. Sometime before Miss White’s feline face hawked its first product (a coin purse), the Japanese began adopting the kawaii (“cute” or “adorable”) culture—spawning a phenomenon of happy-good-fun-lucky times on everything from keychains to couture. The Japanese company Sanrio hopped on the cute-train when Yuko Shimizu, an in-house designer, drew a white, Japanese bobtail cat with a big red bow and no mouth. Sanrio wanted to keep their signature kitty mute so that people “could project their (own) feelings onto the character.” Our feeling is that this cat will give it up to anyone (Nike, Vans, Kimmora Lee Simmons, Swarovski, Stüssy, Fender) who’s willing to pay to play with her.
While fashion trends come and go, in Hong Kong the kitty is always in style. On the streets, you will find a colorful array of feline fashions. HK’s face is printed on absolutely everything: shoes, shirts, bags, and coats, often in loud and clashing combined outfits dedicated to nothing but cat. Raining out? Grab your trusty HK umbrella to keep your HK raincoat dry. What time is it? According to your HK wrist-watch, it’s always Hello Kitty o’clock.
What is it about this pasty cat with a big-ass head that people go meowzers over? The ultimate example of “right time, right place,” people asked for cute—Sanrio gave them a cat without a mouth. And although she may not say much, this doesn’t seem to stop freakish followers from buying just about anything with Hello Kitty’s face on it. Stop by the Hello Kitty store in Hong Kong and pick up your very own Hello Kitty ice cream churner, humidifier, bedazzled hoodie, or hot dog maker! And next time you think about tying the knot, consider booking the Hong Kong subway station and riding the “Hello Kitty Wedding Train” like one couple did in 2007—the bride was dazzling in her Hello Kitty wedding dress, which matched her Hello Kitty engagement ring purrfectly.
If the 20,000 official Hello Kitty products aren’t enough, perhaps you could browse through the millions of unofficial products, like the Hello Kitty ball-gag or Hello Kitty latex bed. Pick up a bottle of Hello Kitty Pink Grey Goose Vodka or a sixer of Hello Kitty Beck’s. And nothing screams kawaii, peace, and love, like the custom Hello Kitty AK-47.
Even though this kitty has no mouth, we’re convinced she is laughing all the way to the bank. With a stronghold on the street fashions of Hong Kong, Ms. Kitty is reaping over $5 billion each year, and there’s no sign that anyone will sour of this old puss anytime soon.
TAIWANESE EVA AIR CAN fly you into Hong Kong in proper Hello Kitty style. Each plane in their limited Asian route is decorated in one of five themes: Hello Kitty Happy Music Time, Hello Kitty Loves Apples, Hello Kitty with Magic Stars, Hello Kitty Around the World, and Hello Kitty Speed Puff. From the giant pink HK kiosks to a silhouette of the feline’s face on every food item served on-board (kitty cantaloupe, anyone?)—every detail is the cat’s meow.
IT’S ESTIMATED THAT TEN percent of all designer goods in Italy are big ol’ fakers. The demand for Pucci, Gucci, and other high-end Italian brands that don’t end in “ucci” are as fierce as the price tags of these coveted items. Don’t be fooled by the seemingly fancy getups of high-strutting Italians; knockoffs can be bought everywhere, and even though no Italian would admit to wearing fake Prada, check the tag next time you get a local to drop their pants.
Before you start hagglin’ for a fake Fendi backpack to fill with knockoff goods that are “Made in Italy,” consider the pricey consequences for buying counterfeits: a fine of up to 10,000 euros. In an attempt to drastically reduce the demand for rip-off label whoring, the Italian authorities are holding the shopper accountable—even the “unsuspecting” tourist, unaware of law, could end up coughing up 1,000 euros for Prada’s pleather cousin.
If you are willing to risk the fines for a fake, you don’t have to look very hard or spend an Armani-and-a-leg to find one. When in Rome, head toward the area near the Spanish Steps—the equivalent of New York’s Fifth Avenue or Paris’ Champs-Élysées—to gawk at the OG’s, then look for the guys peddlin’ on the pavement with big, black duffel bags for more affordable options. In need of some free afternoon entertainment? Hang around and wait for the polizia to roll through—the makeshift shops for fakes turn mobile in an instant as the “shop owners” flee the authorities. Florence and Milan host the same scene. Look for a crowd of tourists surrounding goods on the ground, then look right and left for coppers before buying.
If you can give a shit less about labels, then your options for bagging quality Italian goods—like leather—without risking run-ins with the law significantly increase. Bring home a real souvenir made of Italian leather by sifting through the skins in Florence, the leather capital of Italy. The Santa Croce Leather Workshop, located in the cloister of the Santa Croce church, is the leathery Mecca, but also take a look-see at the San Lorenzo Market, where bringing your bargaining game face is essential. Wandering off the beaten path of any market can host perfect “leather-weather”—head down the side streets of smaller villages for a personal experience with artisans and a chance to score more for less.
Whether riskin’ a bad rap for a good price or ditching the label and paying less, there is no shortage of deals to be found on Italy’s fashionable streets. No matter what the label on your bag says, it should never read: full price.
Haggling Like an International Boss
VENDORS EVERYWHERE ARE LIKE HUNGRY HAWKS, AND A shopping tourist is their wounded prey. They’ll be watching you from the moment you enter the market, sniffing for weakness. So, put on your best scowl, get focused, and stay sharp. Keep these tips tucked in your pocket to score big discounts on random shit at the market:
1.Know how much you are willing to spend before entering the playing field, and don’t be afraid to walk away.
2.Face it: no one’s buying that you’re a local, but knowing a few key phrases in the local language will open the cheap shopping floodgates.
3.Haggling is like dating. You have to romance the vendor a little before you get the goods. However, unlike dating, no never means no in this deceptive relationship. Wink, smile, and nod as you talk up his treasure, then “psshhh!” at what he says it costs. Once he’s drunk off your haggling charm, take it all the way home!
4.Know that his starting price is always at least twice as much as he’s willing to sell an item for, and level the playing field by offering half of what you’re down to pay.
5.A skilled vendor will tug at your heartstrings or fuck with your head to gain access to your wallet. Stick to your plan regardless of whether his fifteen daughters need braces. Even if your new vendor buddy puts his arm around your shoulder, serves you tea, and tells you stories he’s never told anyone, you don’t owe him shit.
6.If you find yourself agreeing with him when you initially didn’t, take a step away for some fresh air. Chances are whatever you want will still be there once you return, this time with ice running through your veins.
7.When it comes to haggling, sometimes lying is the best policy. “The guy down the block o’er there has this same exact thing for three bucks cheaper. Should I just go buy it from him?”
8.Buying in bulk adds leverage. If you have extra room in your pack, the two-for-one haggling trick can get you what you want, plus another something you may not want.
Once you’re both winded from the bargaining boogie, the final step is to look the vendor straight in the eye, lay down your final offer, and shut the fuck up. Let it linger like a silent-but-deadly fart. Stand there and bask in the stench, until he either gives in to your offer, or you cave and buy the damn elephant statue for thirty cents more.
OTP TIP: Offer the vendor half the asking price minus one. Since half is the expected counter-wager, going one lower shows that you know the game and mean business. He’ll either be impressed by your showmanship or think you’re a jerk-off.
FASHION RULES NEW YORK.
The streets are like runways with style oozing from every corner. What’s that? You didn’t pack the new Dolce & Gabbana spring line into your backpack? Fear not. Although famous Fifth Avenue is lined with stores even your sugardaddy (or mama) couldn’t afford, there are several low-budget options when it comes to shopping for threads. As important as fashion is here, creativity takes precedence (and that’s free). So use the streets for inspiration and find creative, cheaper alternatives at the places below.
These are two chains that work in similar ways. Both are combo stores of both new and secondhand clothes and accessories, with several stores in Brooklyn and Manhattan. The stores are well organized and have sections for both girls and guys. The merchandise in this store works in a wonderful way. Basically, sellers bring in their gently used, recently fashionable clothes, then a skilled clerk sorts through their stuff and picks items they feel will sell best. The seller can then choose to either get store credit or cash for the items the store takes.
What this all means to you, especially in New York, is that you get to scavenge through nice, almost new, fashionable things and pay very little for your finds. Additionally, the items you find reflect the neighborhood in which they’re sold, so you really get a sense of the local fashion preferences.
A retailer of discounted designer clothing, shoes, and accessories, their motto is “fashion worth fighting for.” If buying big name brands without the high price tags is your thing, this is the place to go. The styles are often for older people, but you can find a good deal if you look hard. This place is huge, so you will get your fashion fight on—for hours.
There is nothing shameful about shopping at Goodwill. Whereas people used to equate these stores with soup kitchens, the plummet of the American economy has brought new interest to these places. Sure these stores are full of some pretty useless junk, but lots of fashionable New Yorkers donate their sassy stuff to these places for tax write-offs, so it may be worth the dig.
The trick to keeping up with New York style on a budget is steering away from the conventional and shopping at places that require a little more browsing. After all, in this fashionable city, one man’s trash is probably much more fashionable than your own trash.
IF YOU THOUGHT LOVEABLE little guinea pigs couldn’t get any cuter, the town of Huacho, Peru, has taken their preciousness to a new level. In the annual Festival of the Guinea Pig, our snugalicious pets are dressed in darling outfits to look like furry, pint-size people and compete for the titles of absofuckinglute adorability. Over in the food stalls however, some of their less fortunate colleagues are fried whole and served with rice and veggies. Guinea pigs star in every part of the festival—from the main stage to the main course.
Long before Mr. Fluff Monster was your kindergarten classroom pet, guinea pigs were domesticated by the Andean people for their meat, not their cuddliness. Called cuy (pronounced “Kwee”) in Spanish and rarely, but more accurately, cavy (pronounced “KAY-vee”) in English, they bang like bunnies and taste (almost) like chicken. These cheap, low-maintenance rodents grow up fast and are lean in fat and high in protein. In rural Andean homes, you’ll find dozens of cuy frolicking and fornicating at will—until someone gets hungry. They are not pets, nor pigs, nor from Guinea . . . so we pretty much got it completely wrong.
Villages throughout Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia throw annual fiestas to honor these rats with better PR. In Huacho, the cuy catwalk takes center stage. Many are dressed in traditional outfits, often to match their owners. Others are dressed as kings, nobles, farmers, peasants, miners, folk singers, and even Santa Claus. Prizes are dished out for the best-dressed cuy, along with the fattest, fastest, and of course, tastiest. You won’t find an official website about this July festival, so brush up your Español, fly down to Lima, catch a bus up the coast to Huacho, and ask around. Pack a tiny trumpet and bow tie for Cuy Armstrong, a mini coonskin cap for Cavy Crockett, and some hair grease and a secondhand suit for My Cousin Guinea. You could be the first gringo winner, or even participant, the festival has ever seen. And you probably already know what’s served at the victory dinner.
YOU MIGHT THINK OF PARIS, Milan, or Tokyo as cities on the cutting edge of style—but the land that birthed Ikea and H&M brings big Nordic fashion cojones to the table, as well. Many of the styles you’re sporting this year have been in full trendy swing in Sweden since before you knew what a fedora was. Stockholm is all about accessible fashions, and even though it gets ass-cold over there, they still manage to have loads of style peeking out from under their parkas.
Skinny jeans are a fairly recent trend in the States but have been around Stockholm for years. Never mind boring blue denim, these guys blow it out with skittles-bright colors like Fanta-orange, John Deere-green and cherry pie-red. Pair with a collared shirt and cardigan carelessly tossed over the shoulders, and you’ll seamlessly integrate into the rainbow of pedestrians on the streets of Stockholm.
Colorful clothing in Stockholm knows no gender boundaries. The guys have shed their masculine Viking ancestry and don’t mind sporting lavender suits (cut skinny and short is the standard), bubble gum–pink shirts, and magenta scarves. Swedes believe in healthcare and color for all.
OTP TIP: Don’t freak out if you pop into a Cheap Monday or an Acne (unfortunate name, kick-ass clothing store) and can’t find clothes segregated by sex. Swedes are into unisex clothing styles and don’t discriminate based on hotdogs or hallways.
Scarves are wardrobe staples in this frigid land. Most are wrapped front to back (start with the scarf at your throat, take the ends to your back, and wrap it to the front again with the ends dangling down) and are meant to add a pop of color to boring black coats. In Stockholm, thicker is better with scarves and sausages— don’t get caught with a thin and puny one in the freezing winter.
Sweden didn’t invent the clog, but it’s been a fashion staple since ABBA exported the look around the world in the ’70s. In 2007, the clog reemerged in Stockholm fashion when Cilla Wingård Neuman and Emy Blixt started “Swedish Hasbeens,” their line of updated clogs, upon discovering hundreds of vintage pairs in the basement of a factory near Stockholm.
LIKE THE REGION ITSELF, West African fashion is often misrepresented. Stereotyped as a place that is too poor to care about fashion or too exotic to be relevant, West Africa doesn’t just offer animal print threads and crazy tribal neck gear. On the contrary, the region is pumping out some serious fashion that’s quickly creepin’ onto every major, modern runway from New York to Milan.
Traditional textiles, as bold and original as the West African people and their history, are setting trends on every continent. Those sweet, colorful, geometric leggings you scored at Urban Outfitters—they were probably inspired by Ghanaian kente cloth. When the Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast first introduced the most famous of all African fabrics, it was considered a fabric fit only for a king.
Nowadays, kente-style cloth is fitting just about every class of hot ass around the globe. Those boldly patterned, batik-style fabrics that are being turned into designer bootyshorts for Beyoncé or a one-of-a-kind jacket for Lady Gaga—every designer from Marc Jacobs to Tory Burch can thank West African Ankara fabric for influencing their designs. And although the Ankara-style was a result of Dutch-colonial influence, West Africans immediately spun their creativity and cultural heritage into every fiber of the signature cloth.
Unlike many of the Western fashion trends that are dictated by massive marketing campaigns, West African fashion celebrates creativity, originality, and the importance of personal style. Many West Africans choose to entertain their inner Armani by picking a fabric they connect with and commissioning a seamstress to make the garment just the way they want. Talented designers are emerging from this scene, like Nigerian Lisa Folawiyo, founder of world-renowned brand Jewel by Lisa. Her ever-evolving lines celebrate the deep cultural and social significance of traditional fabrics in their designs—with an added personal touch, like Swarovski crystal embroidering. Judging by the hordes of Western world copycats, West Africa has become a big fucking fashion deal.
Maybe Deola Sagoe is not a household name like Coco Chanel, but this Nigerian designer has peeps like Oprah and Will Smith begging for her haute couture. Expect to hear more about 2012 Arise Magazine Fashion Week Emerging Artist of the Year recipient, Loza Maléombho. Raised in Ivory Coast and based out of NYC, this edgy designer is using fashion not only to raise awareness of the West African heritage, but also as a tool for the social empowerment of West African women. She employs local women from Ivory Coast, pays them fair wages, teaches them how to manage money, and showcases their talents on the global runway. Although the region is still shrouded in images of National Geographic loin cloths, West Africa is combining its dynamic history and modern artistry to produce unique, street-ready fashion.
MAKING USE OF IMPORTED WESTERN GARBAGE, LIKE PLASTIC and glass bottles, West Africans have found numerous ways to turn junk into jingles. Ghana takes bead lead by recycling bottles, broken windshields, and any other shattered glass to make Krobo beads. In Burkina Faso, plastic prayer mats are recycled into colorful bracelets. Bronze jewelry turns green these days in Mali, where abandoned bronze radiators are pounded out and transformed into earrings.