the owner of a fashion boutique in taiwan, TUAN TUAN, contacted me to request the use of my drawings for a promotional campaign. she wrote me personal emails to express their company philosophy as well as how she felt close to my work. she has a strong passion for art and treats fashion as art. i felt very touched by how thoughtful she was and how much she likes my drawings. so i decided to work with her.

she chose my drawings “new heartbeat” and “my precious egg” for this campaign, announcing the opening of their new boutique in taipei. i think they are great match — i did both drawings when i was pregnant with elijah, and they both have the idea of birth and new life.

the ads featuring my drawings appeared in taiwan’s biggest newspaper, “apple daily“, back in september (7th and 14th). i was told the ads would be full page, but i didn’t realize the effect until i received the actual newspaper, they’re so big… the ads also ran in a fashion magazine called madame figaro in taiwan. i was interviewed by madame figaro for an article, which i’ll post here soon.

TUAN TUAN carries COMME des GARCONS, junya watanabe, camper, 45 rpm, maison martin margiela, undercover, and BALENCIAGA. they will be making a tote bags using my drawings, for sale in the boutique. you can buy a print of “new heartbeat” from my online shop.

(click the image to view close up)

it’s raining hard today in saskatoon. i’ve noticed that canadians don’t like to use umbrellas. so tough. in japan, i never left home without my umbrella. never!! all japanese have to carry umbrellas every day — it’s required by the japanese constitution.

for people in other countries who don’t like to block the rain with mechanical devices such as an umbrella, this “emergency raincoat” would be an ideal substitute.

the downside of wearing raincoats is that it’s very hard to avoid looking lame. thanks to the recent improvements in fashion industry, there are more and more design-oriented raincoats available in canada. there are raincoats in bold, catchy colours, some with geometical patterns on them. that’s wonderful.

but may i say, they’re missing the whole point of raincoats? a stylish raincoat makes it too obvious that you’ve taken the time to find the perfect raincoat for a rainy day. and it’s clear that the only reason you’re carefree to walk down the street in the rain is because of that raincoat. other people, without raincoats, will say “if it weren’t for your raincoat, you’d be looking like a drowned rat, too!” by being obviously too well prepared, you deserve this sort of criticism.

the key point with raincoats is: keep it subtle. that’s why this emergency raincoat is made of transparent clear plastic. no-one will be able to tell that you’re wearing a raincoat (unless they get really close up). you’ll walk down the street in the rain like it’s just another beautiful sunny day. nonchalant, yet flawless. just like magic!

ladies will say: “who is this gentleman looking real sharp even in this heavy rain? what’s his secret?” gentlemen will say: “what a courageous lady, walking in the rain! i want her to be my wife.”

with this raincoat in your bag or in your pocket, you’re all set. you have no fear of the rain, and you’ll grab everyone’s hearts.

please, be prepared. if you do, you’ll be as proud as this happy man, walking in the rain.