#monocle
W. David Marx’s upcoming book on the popularity of the American Ivy League fashion style in Japan in the 60s, Ametora(short for “American Traditional”), comes out on December 1, and you can pre-order it from Amazon.
This is a project that David has been slowly cooking – let’s call it a crock-pot of a project – for quite a while, and seeing it finally get to a point where it’s almost out and already getting some great coverage – like a recommendation in the latest issue of Monocle, pictured in this post, and an excerpt in Lapham’s Quarterly – is really fantastic. There’s no one I know who is more knowledgeable about this topic – and to be honest, the history of modern fashion in Japan – than him (he even wrote a thesis on A Bathing Ape).
This all gets me feeling quite nostalgic. David is one of the very first friends I made when I first moved to Tokyo over 15 years ago. We became acquainted slightly before my arrival, through a Pizzicato Five mailing list, which is how I made all of my first friends in Japan.
Yes, even back then, electronic communications were a thing, imagine that.
Over the years we’ve each had our own entertaining journeys, and his involved producing some excellent music (under the Marxy monicker), and before launching the Néojaponisme websitewithIan Lynam, he was quite well known for some epic online essays about Japanese culture that evolved into some of the most pointed and heated discussions, usually with Momus playing the role of foil.
So yeah, Ametora, can’t wait to read it.
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DO: Dive into Monocle’s Book of Japan
The culmination of years of research and reporting across the country, the team at Monocle Tokyo have delivered what might just be the ultimate guide to japan. Weighty, densely packed and beautifully produced, The Monocle Book of Japan is a bookshelf essential for anyone planning a trip, or simply curious to delve deeper into Japan’s fathomless culture. A second-to-none insight into the people, places and products that define the nation, Monocle unpack one of the world’s most fascinating countries in a way that will have you page-turning for hours on end.
Secure your copy at the Monocle Shop
Image:Monocle
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Some of the spot illustrations I made for Monocle’s ‘Quality of Life’ Conference in Athens.
I loved the theme of mixing figures of Greek myth with modern appliances, furniture and fashion.
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Portrait of writer José Maria de Eça de Queirós (1845–1900) — Carlos Alberto Santos, 2000 (private collection)
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Bri'ish countryball for the 6 fanarts challenge!!
Feel free to suggest characters, i’m going to draw more of them c:
New Penguin design
Made him a bit tubbier, gave him a ducky umbrella cuz I find it funny hehe ☂️
