swim until you can't see land

It is not with a naive uncertainty when I say that you might have come across several full print bodysuits at least once in your lifetime, on the internet sphere. They're bad-ass, they make an effective glance stealer, and although they seem to permeate every corner of the internet realm, they're not everywhere yet in real life. In the past month some academic and non-academic encounters have graciously revealed to me that the internet sphere and the public sphere, are still two separate things altogether. It's a little surprising to see no matter how seemingly integrated our daily real lives and the life of the internet are, what happens in the internet may not be relevant in real life. It is a skewed perception of reality, even less objective than the real reality itself, as we seek out information that is consistent with our worldview... (le lecturer's words)

Now, with the full-print trend at full blast, I am posting my list of favorite swimsuits here, some of which might have amused your sight a week a month or a year ago, and hence have become a bore. To you I dearly apologize. But there are people out there, who are more resistant to excessive exposure and less to such magnif prints on lycra, on latex, or on other materials that allow colors to flaunt their vibrancy at ease.

1) We Are Handsome

Among the first (if not really the first one) that put in my path a full-print pebble I tripped over. Admittedly I felt a sweet-sour brew of emotions when I stumbled upon a picture of Rihanna wearing their piece more than a year ago. I mean it was sweet that she looked good in it, and the brand deserved some attention anyway. But not long after that nasty gal and all other navies arm themselves with tiger printed swimsuits and alike....which drowned me in a sea of dying excitement, to be honest.

But their latest collection, aptly titled The Matriarch, included this favorite piece of mine, featuring all sparkly blingy in their glory, outshining everything in their surrounding...

The label now has delved into producing garments that wander beyond the vicinity of swimming pool (although their previous swimsuit collections SURELY had never stayed just underwater), debuting on MBFWA runway splendor, leaving their printed silk vulnerable to divine beauty when swooshed heartily by the wind; which is a very good thing of course.



2) BlackMilk

Is it coincidental that this second label (AND the last one ensuing this) featured also hails from the land of Down Under? I don't think so. I am not really positive that you are aware of my fascination with the whole scene going on Down There (ambiguity intended?), so let me confirm the notion. Yes I think it's brilliant, yes maybe it owes to the fact that the geographical propinquity does not do very good in distancing me and Australia.

Anyway, trying hard to be detachedly speaking here, I love Australian fashion for what it is. I could say detached because when my heart skipped a few beats upon the sight of Emma Mulholland's ice-cream hued ensemble of quilted leather (the best!) and sequins, upon the sight of peaceful riot of oceanic colors in something else by natalie wood's Submerged collection, or upon the oh-so-homely warm undertone in nothing but flowers collection swarmed by lovely tapestries by TV, not a tiniest speckle of suspicion that they are products of Australia was cast upon it. Man, I think I just have a giant bucket of love for this particular aspect of that country (but does not mean it's the only one).

But of course the preceding babble does not solely justify my whole amusement; for the fact that its position in global coordinates contributes something to my liking. At least in a sense that I am surrounded, even in my internet sphere, by a major percentage of people living in South-East Asia region, who has more access to Australian fashion than, say, anyone in northern hemisphere does (generally).

So I thought I'll just paste a picture of the label's arguably most successful, tumblr-worthy (in fact I stumbled upon it a few aeons ago on my tumblr dashboard, without knowing it's by blackmilk (you know how skimpy some people could be with credits) rendition of x-ray technology, transforming a piece of white swimsuit into a body-hugging fabric ribs.

I just however, found out a few minutes ago that BlackMilk was also doing a 3D ribs dress, which although I think was quite a nice kitschy addition, incited some fright in me as a lycra mini dress seems like an awkward hybrid that would belong in neither dress nor swimsuit section (although WAH's the jewels dress seems just fine).

3) Zimmermann

I admit my defeat to flower power. Despite how its pervasive presence has toned down the fragrant thrill I still kneel down before some flower prints that I think speak for themselves (you just can tell).

This particular Zimmermann piece that came a long way from its S/S 2009/2010 collection is still among those few that place floral print in the spotlight not for the sake of placing floral print in the spotlight (especially since it came out before the baby boom of flower print). And oh boy aren't the laces wonderful. How can I get over it. You should see Wendy Ma wearing it.