Research and Other Investigations from China

Queen Sea Big Shark / 后海大鲨鱼 Making Waves

Fuhan, lead singer of Queen Sing Big Shark, strikes a pose in UCCA during The Creators Projects

Queen Sea Big Shark/后海大鲨鱼 is so, like, HOT right now. I mean, for real. This past year they were featured in both V Magazine and the Vogue September issue where Mario Testino cued up on them for a big spread. Lead singer, Fu Han/付菡, is now the electronic dance rock fashion diva of China. During her packed show at Tango in Beijing earlier this month, she went through at least four different outfits in the course of the evening. More power to her. I still have a big soft spot for Queen Sea Big Shark, even if I’m not the biggest fan of the haute couture pop direction she is taking with the band. They still rock it out, and their early surf rock influences make an appearance here and there. I luckily caught Fuhan at UCCA during the Creators Project where I took a few photos and video footage for fun. Check the video below for some recent concert material as well. They are getting into very elaborate stage setups for the big concerts. Otherwise, here are some recent music videos for Let’s Play, Glow in the Dark and an awesome promotional video for their sophomore album Wave.

Plastered T-Shirts Fashion Shootout at Beijing World Park

Plastered 8 fashion shoot in Beijing World Park - Taj Mahal

Over the past few years, I have obsessively explored and photographed theme parks all over China. These are some of my favorite places to investigate changing notions of leisure and other trappings of “modern” lifestyles now enjoyed by the country’s nouveau riche. I also fancy myself a bit of a fashion photographer, so I was most pleased when I was approached by Dominick Hill, a friend and famed founder of Plastered 8 T-Shirts, to shoot some photographs at the Beijing World Park alongside Ren Hang, an up-and-coming Chinese photographer with amazing model friends. The theme was ennui. The Beijing World Park is a most unique and amazing place – a shabbier northern cousin of the Windows on the World theme park in Shenzhen. Hundreds of small-scale models of famous monuments, buildings and natural wonders from around the world are spread over expansive grounds. It is a wonderful place to spend an odd afternoon. Here are some of the results.

Plastered 8 fashion shoot in Beijing World Park - US Capital

Plastered 8 fashion shoot in Beijing World Park - African Village

Plastered 8 fashion shoot in Beijing World Park - Angkor WatPlastered 8 fashion shoot in Beijing World Park - ManhattanPlastered 8 fashion shoot in Beijing World Park - Cougar Statue

Plastered 8 fashion shoot in Beijing World Park - Golden Gate BridgePlastered 8 fashion shoot in Beijing World Park - The MallPlastered 8 fashion shoot in Beijing World Park - Tower Bridge

Plastered 8 fashion shoot in Beijing World Park - GizaPlastered 8 fashion shoot in Beijing World Park - ColiseumPlastered 8 fashion shoot in Beijing World Park - Sculpture Park

2011 Strawberry Festival: Chinese Hipster Gathering and Related Controversy

The audience flips out for Miserable Faith the 2011 Strawberry Festival at the Tongzhou Canal Park outside of Beijing

You might be able to tell by now, but I am way behind on my posts. These shots were all taken during the second day of the 2011 Strawberry Festival on May 1. Whoops. Anyway, better late than never. The rise of the Chinese hipster brought much controversy this past year. There were naysayers calling them hacks and shallow followers, others too clueless to know where to look in the first place, while some dug deeper and provided taxonomies or even tracked Chinese überhipsters (trans-identity-meta-hipster-awesomeness). So, despite the general lack of irony and fixed-gear bikes in China, I still stand behind my previous assertions of the importance of this new wave of urban youth trying to stand out from the crowd and make it on there own. Identity in urban china is an ever-mutating beast, but there is no denying that people are trying to reach deeper and tap into more creative currents. Alternative lifestyles, especially in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Chengdu and Guangzhou are on the rise and need to be celebrated. Here are a few of those who are visually standing out for better or worse.

Hipsters and freaks rock out at the 2011 Strawberry Festival at the Tongzhou Canal Park outside of BeijingHipsters and freaks rock out at the 2011 Strawberry Festival at the Tongzhou Canal Park outside of BeijingHipsters and freaks rock out at the 2011 Strawberry Festival at the Tongzhou Canal Park outside of Beijing

Hipsters and freaks rock out at the 2011 Strawberry Festival at the Tongzhou Canal Park outside of BeijingHipsters and freaks rock out at the 2011 Strawberry Festival at the Tongzhou Canal Park outside of BeijingHipsters and freaks rock out at the 2011 Strawberry Festival at the Tongzhou Canal Park outside of Beijing

The audience waits for Hedgehog to come on stage at the 2011 Strawberry Festival at the Tongzhou Canal Park outside of Beijing

China Cultural Corporatism: CK1 Touts Far East Movement

An urbane crowd packs into Tango for a ck1 branded concert and party in Beijing

Beijing is chock-full of branded events these days. Whether it’s Diane von Furstenberg at Pace Gallery or Louis Vuitton at the National Museum of China, many fashion houses and luxury brands are trying to wedge themselves into the lucrative Chinese consumer market by pairing up with “legitimate” cultural institutions. Calvin Klein was no different when they rolled into Beijing and threw a party at Club Tango featuring performances by New Pants/新裤子 from Beijing and Far East Movement from Los Angeles. New Pants played a very short set including my current favorite “Sex, Drugs, Internet” while the Far East Movement rocked the energetic crowd with their “Like a G6” hit – see videos below. Otherwise, one corner of the dance floor was dominated by a specially constructed mini-studio where people could be videotaped dancing around a white room in the same manner as recent Calvin Klein advertisements. The only caveat was that anyone entering the box signed away their rights to the video in hopes of being selected for a future Calvin Klein campaign or web feature. People around the mini-studio could also watch live feeds of the antics occurring inside via flatscreens built into the siding. Overall it was a rather ingenious ploy to get people to freely relinquish rights to their personal images for commercial purposes. Events like this occur every few days in Beijing as international corporations continue to drum up a consumer frenzy throughout China.

CK1 party attendees dance in a specially built studio intended to resemble CK1 advertisements at Club Tango in BeijingCK1 party attendees dance in a specially built studio intended to resemble CK1 advertisements at Club Tango in Beijing

CK1 party attendees dance in a specially built studio intended to resemble CK1 advertisements at Club Tango in BeijingCK1 party attendees dance in a specially built studio intended to resemble CK1 advertisements at Club Tango in Beijing

T-Franklin Birthday Looks

The new T-Franklin lookbook

I thought I would break up some of my hardcore music postings with a little bit of fashion. These photographs were all taken on my birthday in New York City for my good friend Ivan Pun’s T-Franklin clothing line. It was easily the best time I’ve had shooting in awhile. Sometimes I must exchange mosh pits for a flute of champagne. Anyway, this is just a smattering of some looks I enjoyed as well as more candid shots.

The new T-Franklin lookbook

Styling and clothes by T-FranklinStyling and clothes by T-FranklinStyling and clothes by T-Franklin

The new T-Franklin lookbook