EMMA BELL X LAH'LAH'LAND X HANGER MAGAZINE!!!!

oOOOooo HIYA~ HAPPY SUNDAY from Sunny Seoul!!!
So just a quick one to fill you in on some stuff that's been in the pipeline for a few months now~ So a while back I got involved with the crew from LAH'LAH'LAND~ an contemporary fashion boutique in Malaysia which was mega exciting as they are a talented bunch of creatives working on some really awesome things!!! They have just launched their brand new creative initiative~ LLL+ a concept store and fashion space in Kuala Lumpur and I'm SUPER HAPPY to be onboard as one of the international designers featured at LLL+!!!! They have a bunch of exclusive and limited edition pieces currently installed so I shall be updating and giving you all of the juice on that soon!!!
In the meantime, thought I would give you a sneaky peek of a brand new editorial by LAH'LAH'LAND X YAA SUI for 'Hanger Magazine', Malaysia which features some of my pieces shot in Tokyo (team credits below!!). So check out the special preview and I shall be unleashing the rest of the shoot and details soon!!! Also be sure to follow Lah'Lah'Land on Instagram for all of their news: LAHLAHLANDKL
Also I promise to update all of the latest gossip from my antics in Seoul ASAP as lots of fun things have been going on!!!
Love and Sparkles,
Emma xxxx

(Image Credits:)
Photographer: Look Chee Chung
Stylist: Sun Khiew
Hair Stylist: Leo Wong
Make Up Artist: LaineWong
Clothing: Emma Bell/ ShopFloorWhore/ Yesah/ Lah'Lah'Land. 
Models: LINDA HAO/ LAINE WONG/ BEEYIN TAN/ BRANDON ONG/  SUN KHIEW.
Location: HITACHI PARK- TOYKO, JAPAN.  

Relocation, Relocation! OHH HEY From SEOUL!!!

OOOOOHHHH HELLO FROM SEOUL!!!
So my lack of blogging recently has been SHOCKING! Mainly because there have been some MASSIVE changes which have meant my time has been super limited over this past couple of months....but, in short, to fill you in on the gossip... I HAVE MOVED TO MAGICAL SEOUL!!!
It is an adventure that I have actually been thinking about for a good couple of years and after my experiences here in Korea last year during my artist residency with Incheon Art Platform, this kind of cemented my decision to uproot myself and give life a try in Korea.
Obviously it was a huge deal to pack my bags and move to the other side of the world but, it's such a dream come true and I'm SUPER happy to be here!

Hence my reasons for being so rubbish with updating my blog of recent because the last few months in the UK were CRAZY busy with wrapping up a load of work and projects whilst planning and preparing for my big jump to Seoul! 

As you may have noticed my time here in Korea last year had a MASSIVE impact on me, not only in a work sense~ I totally fell in love with this place for so many reasons mainly the people, the way of life, the cultural heritage, the contemporary art scene, the dedicated work ethic, the food, the fashion, the colourful streets, the pride that the country has in it's own cultural identity and of course the fact that the visual aesthetics of Korea are like gold to any creative person... so in short I pretty much love everything about it here... ( well, except from the oversized bugs and spiders of course!) and the idea of totally throwing myself into the experience of living and working in an environment that is such a dramatic contrast to my norm is possibly the most exciting thing in the world! I find nothing more awesomely exhilarating and phenomenally inspiring than totally immersing myself in alien situations with a whole bunch of new challenges, people,  experiences and influences surrounding me!

So the past couple of months were mega hectic in making this happen and I touched down in Korea just 3 weeks ago~it's been a whirlwind of paperwork and preparations in the run up to the big departure.... and one of the most major aspects.... I HAD TO GO AU NATUREL with my hair?!?! FIRST TIME IN A MILLION YEARS!!! I figured that in the long term the upkeep of bleaching my roots in Asia was going to be a nightmare and not as easy as I'm accustomed to... so it was farewell to pastel, pony hair and now I'm officially a brunette which is WEIRD!!!

As I mentioned, I arrived 3 weeks ago so I've been mainly focused on settling in, making my new home all pink and sparkly, adjusting to my work commitments, catching up with old friends, checking out my favourite haunts and basically seeing what's going on in the wonderful city! So after my previous experiences of rural-vs-urban Korea last year, much as my time on little Baengnyeongdo gave me the most intense and close up peek into Korean life and true community spirit that I could have ever wished for.. well... I think we have established that I'm more suited to city life.... so Seoul was my city of choice when shifting over here!!! 

I'm living in a nice little neighbourhood in Eastern Seoul~ which has a nice mix of greenery and neon as well as a tonne of little cafes, shops and restaurants sitting right on my doorstep... (it is also only a short walk to a multi-floor Daiso and a wonderfully aromatic market arcade full of colourful fruit, vegetables and various other practical finds!) I have a cute little apartment which is super cosy and I'm gradually turning it more pink and plastic by the day!!! I'm also located right by a metro station which is perfect for getting out and about around the Seoul and beyond...I'm only a few short stops away from the fabric markets which is AMAZING!!!

There are so many things I'm excited about for the upcoming future....I figure this is an awesome opportunity to learn so much through living in this new situation...there's so many things I'm looking forward to experiencing, researching and considering... I'm also excited to try and learn Korean (I've spent the past few months learning how to read and write in Hangul and now I'm trying to build up my vocab and practical conversation...so I will keep you updated on my journey with the lingo here as it's MEGA TRICKY!!) I'm really excited about working here and the new people I will meet~it's the perfect time to expand some of my skills and learn new things which is pretty exiting! I also want to perfect the skill of making vegan kimchi and also want to learn how to cook Baekseolgi (백설기) !! I love how there is so much going on in this city~ TONNES of exhibitions and events going on and it's also great to just wander around this huge expanse as you never know what you may find around every corner!

I guess I've got so much to talk about but, I need to wrap up this post and save some juice for next time!! Last week I got to go and check out the Yayoi Kusama exhibition which was BEYOND AMAZING so next post I'll spill the beans on that as it was so awesome it deserves a post of it's own...and I also need to update on some of the fun projects I've been working on over the past couple of months including a joining of forces with super cool LAH'LAH'LAND in Malaysia and a couple of fun new shoots that have been in the mix..but and right now lunch is calling!!!

So here is to Seoul and the magic it may bring!!!

Love and Sparkles,

Emma

xxx

'Tales from Blue Truck Island'

Oohhh Hiya!!!

Thought I would share the results of my latest collection produced during my residency with Incheon Art Platform, here in South Korea! As I've mentioned (about a million times!), I have been based here for the past 3 months working between Baengnyeong-do, Incheon and Seoul working on my new series of wearable art works and developing a whole load of field research which has included teaching textile workshops, collaborating on an animation and working with creatives based here on various photoshoots!

My new work is titled 'Tales from Blue Truck Island' and is based upon the themes of cultural identity and community interaction with the residents and visual aesthetics of Baengnyeong Island.... You can find the full information and details about the project and it's influences on my website by clicking HERE!!!

I've loved working on this project, it gave me a whole load of new inspiration from places that had I not been working on this artist residency, I probably would never have got to experience, IN MY LIFE! The final results of the 'Tales from Blue Truck Island' include the series of wearable art works, a photography collaboration and an animation.... the animation is coming soon so keep your eyes peeled!!! And tomorrow my exhibition here in Korea opens...so I will be also updating on that!!!

So the images were produced in collaboration with the super talented, Seoul based photographer, Jessica Berggrun and a wonderful team of magical people!

I will leave you with a select few images from the project and you can see the full series of photography and read all about the project HERE!!!!!! 

Image Credits:

Photographer:Jessica Berggrun.

Make Up Artist: Natalia Che.

Models: Sera Haith & Correen Bo.

Assistant: Sarah Kim.

Catch you laterzzzz!!!

Love & Sparkles,

Emma xxx

Sunshine in Seoul!!!

Ooooh Hiya!!!!
So this past week since returning to the mainland...things have been outrageously busy....strange to go from quiet island life back to the mayhem of the city~ really bizarre to go from seeing more starfish than humans to being squashed like a sardine on the Seoul subway during rush hour!!! It's really exciting to be back as there is a lot going on with my project etc... the countryside was awesome but, naturally I missed all of the plastic, neon and noise of the city!!

I'm now at the stage in my project where everything is coming together so it's exciting to be sneaking closer to the final result of my research and work here! Over the past week I was prepping for a collaboration that I was working on with a Seoul based creative team...which I've been super excited about for weeks and weeks!!! At the weekend I did a photoshoot of my new wearable art works that I've been developing here with a really AWESOME crew which was so much fun! I was really looking forward to working with some creatives here in the city as it's always amazing to link up with new people in new places!!!! So watch this space for the images from our collaboration!!!!

So basically all the finishing of sewing, meetings, location scouting, final prep work blah blah blah etc has taken over my life since I returned from  Baengnyeong-do... so aside from that, I don't have too much juicy gossip right now! I've been mainly back and forth between my base at Incheon Art Platform and town like a yo-yo... of course this means I get to take a zillion colourful photos en route...and it also means that I am within easy reach of amazinggg vegan food from 'Loving Hut' and the likes!!!
Also my cute sock obsession has come back to haunt me... after the whole Japan scenario when I ended up buying 27 pairs, I vowed not to go so excessive in future...but, over the past couple of days I've ended up racking up a pretty substantial collection again... I was planning on calling it quits until I spotted a particularly glorious pair of UNICORN SOCKS today!!! Obviously I couldn't say NO!!!

The first thing I noticed when I got back was how different the place looks in Spring...when I left for the island in March it was super cold and all of the trees looked brown and dead....so nice to come back to lovely warm weather and colourful flowers EVERYWHERE! I was also mega happy to catch the cherry blossoms here aswell!!! In other news I finally had some pizza here in Korea!! ( well, aside from my own attempt with flour, water and a frying pan) Last night we found a cute, little Italian place so after almost 3 months, the pizza was the biggest treat EVER!!! Strangest thing about the meal was they served us pink pickles and bread with STRAWBERRY JAM for starters!!!!!!
Alright...so bedtime is definitely calling...so I shall leave you with a few photos!!
Love and Sparkles,
Emma xxxx

Sewing in Dreamland...

 Hellooo!!!
It's a lovely blue sky, sunshine filled day here in South Korea....yet it is FREEEEZING outside and mega windy...I skipped out totally dressed for a Spring time occasion...and I almost came home with frostbite...Ok, well slight exaggeration....but it's SUPER chilly out there today!

So I don't have too much juicy gossip I'm afraid, sorry but no excitement of magical palaces or Hello Kitty cafes today! This past few days or so I have mainly been at one with my desk, working away on my project and trying to process all of my research and the million new ideas that I have! I really love it here and it's such an amazingly intense new environment for me so it feels like every day I see something or someone that gives me new ideas and themes that I want to explore....
It's been really nice to just sit here working quietly....well not so quietly as of course the 'Party Mix' has been playing on repeat....but to just spend some time totally dedicated to my project without any distractions. It is also a good time to slowly work my way through every instant drink in a sachet that is available as I am OBSESSED with all of these special flavours! To date the best ones have included Sweet Potato Latte, Pumpkin & Yam and my current favourite is Walnut and Job's Tears tea... of course nothing is quite as supreme as a nice Matcha latte....that will ALWAYS take some beating!

When I've not been doing studio work I've been continuing to document the area around IAP and Incheon in general...so there have been some nice, super early mornings (as I'm STILL unable to sleep!) spent with the sketchbook in nearby Jayu Park which is really lovely...although it requires me to whip out the fingerless gloves and take hot coffee with me as its gets pretty cold up on that hill at that hour! I really love the surrounding residential areas around the park as there are plenty of winding streets and some great views across the colourful rooftops of the city....I love this photo above as there was a little dog keeping watch on my movements in case I tried to sneak into those ceramic pots there! As part of my research I've been looking into Korean quilting so all of these great, patchwork type, rooftop views offer plenty of food for thought!

This week I've also been focusing on setting the ball rolling with some collaborations that I have planned as part of the latter parts of my projects here, so I'm massively excited to get teaming up with new creatives around Seoul and Incheon as well as get cracking with a couple of other exciting bits and pieces that I've got planned!!! I'm always on the lookout for new photographers, MUAs, potential collaborators etc, so anyone who is interested and based in the area, feel free to drop me a line via my website!
Today I'm working on some sampling for my textile work so this evening I will be continuing to do a spot of applique and crochet and also going to be getting to grips with the finer points of how fishing nets are constructed...hardcore.....
Ok, so back to the grind...I think that's all the updates for now!!!
Catch you laterzzzz!!!
Love,
Emma xxxxx

Fabric Sourcing in the Magical Markets of Seoul!

Happy afternoon from sunshine filled Incheon!!!!
Yesterday I put in some hardcore hours trawling around the wonderful sea of fabrics at Dongdaemun Market in Seoul which was an incredible experience!!! This place was AMAZINGG and somewhat overwhelming....

I think I could easily spend 3 days straight in there and still be finding new treasures!!! I'm now in the stages of sourcing all of my materials for my new series of works that I will be producing here during my time as Artist in Residence with Incheon Art Platform. I must apologise in advance for the bad photos of blurry doom here....you have no idea of the mayhem in there so there was no chance of getting the big camera out and I had to quickly snap only the quietest of aisles before I was next jostled by the crowds or a guy carrying stacks of fabric rolls on his shoulders!!! Hence the rubbish photos, swiftly snapped in stealth mode on my phone amongst hands filled with swatches!!! Had I attempted to whip out the photos in the thick of it I would probably have been lynched by angry shoppers!!!

As I say it was a total bunfight in there...totally AWESOME!!! There was a whole load of trade activity going on so phones galore being tossed back and forth, fashion students, local designers, sourcers from factories etc! The language barrier was easily quashed when the merchants ended up calling their friends and kids so that they could translate what I was saying! This place is HUGE and like a labyrinth of dreams...aisle upon aisle of incredible fabrics....every colour, texture and print you could ever imagine! The first couple of floors are dedicated to fabrics, mainly printed cottons, chiffon, jersey and denims, and as you go higher in the building there are also floors full of every trim, accessory and binding that you could EVER imagine!!!!! There were some awesome colours going on...phantasmagorical rainbow style~ I've noticed A LOT of neon around here both in the fabric centre and in the clothing in the shopping districts, likewise with the traditional Hanbok tailors, there is no neon there but, some wonderful high-colour combos in the mix! For my project, I am mainly working on a colour palette that manipulates the natural tones identified in my field research and inverts them into a highly saturated palette, so I'm massively excited by all the materials I have discovered here and can't wait to work with medium sourced only from South Korea. I spent hours collecting swatches and the photo you can see above of some of the more colourful findings is only the tip of the iceberg....I came home dragging a couple of big bags full to the rafters of samples and options so I'm looking forward to sorting through them all this evening~most likely whilst listening to a bit of K-Pop as it's going to be a LONGGGGG night!!!!! The upper floors of the market were equally as dreamy....I found some amazing jewellery bits and bobs....chain, piping and hardware accessories...cute plastic stuff for costume jewellery....outrageous amounts of ribbon and binding in every colour and finish imaginable...eeesh, so much....I have a lot of food for thought before I go back and tackle actually picking up all of my materials!!! But, I'm super excited at getting cracking with everything as I feel mega inspired after the past few days of research and the fabric market trip so can't wait to get the needle and thread out this weekend!!!
Ok, so that's all for now!!!!
Toodle pip!
Love and Sparkles,
Emma xxxx

Rocking around Seoul with Hello Kitty and Vegan Noodles!

Ooooohh Hiya!!!

Today has been one of my favourite days since I arrived here in S.Korea! I was up mega early this morning to go and crack on with some research and fabric sourcing in Seoul....
En route I hit up the Hongdae area to check out some of the fashion stores and have a general peruse around the area! I LOVED it here! There are some awesome little stores, plenty of independent boutiques and an outrageous abundance of really cute clothing and accessory shops! 
I guess I would most liken it to a 'kind-of' Seoul version of Harajuku...with a slightly different crowd as the area is located close to Hongik University so it's a bit more studenty and less 'Kawaiiiiii'~with tonnes of colourful street art!!!! I spotted some real gems there so hopefully at some point during my stay here I will have the time to go and do some hardcore shopping!!!!

Imagine my joy when LOW AND BEHOLD I ended up at the Hello Kitty Cafe!!!! I'd been planning on going to another branch in the city for afternoon coffee so I was super surprised when I spotted the Hongdae cafe all pink and sparkly, twinkling in the corner of my eye! Obviously I was straight in there....WHAT A TREAT!!!! Ever since visiting the Taipei Hello Kitty Cafe, I'm obsessed with tracking down ALLLLL of the Kitty cafes and word on the street is there are several around Seoul....so I guess this will not be the last time you see photos of this ilk!!!!

Sorry about the Kitty overload but, I can't help myself! I was way too excited!!! I mean I even got a Kitty face stencilled onto my drink....TOTALLY GOURMET!!!!! Anyway....after the hullabaloo of the cafe I took a walk to another area of the city called Sinchon to check out an art shop for some material supplies on the way....it was such a lovely sunny day today so it was nice to kind of get a better grasp of the city... found a couple of corkers on my way....

I finally tracked down some dreammmmyyy vegan food for lunch after pinpointing every branch of 'Loving Hut' in Seoul on my map! I've been hot on the trail of this AMAZINNNGG veggie chain ever since I first discovered it in Vienna....this one was called the 'Rainbow' cafe and it was great because they have a load of Korean dishes like kimchi (without the sneaky fish!), Tteokbokki and a load of clay pot dishes which usually I can't sample because of the meat factor!!! They also have a decent selection of stuff you can buy to cook at home like vegan instant noodles and soy items which I totally stocked up on as it's quite tricky for me here to find stuff that I know is veggie safe!!! So now I have noodles galore sitting on my desk!!!

Afterwards I then pretty much spent the majority of today at the fabric market in Dongdaemun, beginning to source the materials for my project..... eeeessshhh this place is HUGE.... one of the best fabric markets I have ever been to EVER.....floor upon floor of fabrics, trimmings, jewellery, ribbons, bindings, chains, rhinestones, buttons....you name it.... I found so many amazing things and now I'm sitting listening to Britney amongst a pile of swatches the size of Mount Fuji.... But...I'm going to save the fabric market trip for a separate blog as it totally warrants it's own post!!!!
Finally I shall leave you with a picture of the lovely red rose that I got today.....unfortunately this wasn't a gift from a hot boy in a K-Pop band....it was actually handed out as part of a special promo event celebrating 'White Day'....(the follow up to Valentine's Day that they do here!)
Love and Sparkles,
Emma
xxxx