On The Street, Seoul... Kim Nam Dong X Svetlana Ihsanova Illustration Part II

I admire the work of my compatriots, it's always something courageous and daring and at the same it keeps with the heritage of centuries-old cultural traditions
- Svetlana Ihsanova


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Illustration by Svetlana Ihsanova

Continued from yesterday...

How is life and fashion in Russia? Do you feel like there is a vibrant scene within the cities?

Yes, I do. Life in Russia has never been considered as easy or patient, and it makes the art of fashion very special here. Living in a constant tension generates a very special sense of taste and style. Fashion in Russia as well as any other manifestation of art is full of power and depth, it concentrates on meaningful simplicity and complicated overtones. I admire the work of my compatriots, it's always something courageous and daring and at the same it keeps with the heritage of centuries-old cultural traditions.

Have there been any projects that you've been involved in that have been a real achievement for you?

A collaboration with Vogue and Conde Naste.

And where would you like to see yourself in say five years time?

In five years I'd like to see myself as someone who doesn't care about any achievements. A rock-star for example.

Finally, is there a particular quote or saying that really defines who you are and what you do?

Everything is Kung Fu - especially illustration.

by Svetlana Ihsanova
Portfolio at svetlanaihsanova.ru/

On The Street, Seoul... Hong Sae Hee X Svetlana Ihsanova Illustration Part I

I experiment with styles, mediums and textures - it's such a fascinating thing
- Svetlana Ihsanova


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Illustration by Svetlana Ihsanova

Hi Svetlana, you're an illustrator from Russia, is that right?

Hi, yes, I am.

What led to you being an illustrator? Was is through studies or just a passion that has developed?

I guess passion always comes first. I used to draw during my school classes and then during the lectures and seminars in the Academy. Art college was the only place where my constant sketching didn't make my teachers mad.

Looking across your portfolio, you seem to have several styles and the ability to use different techniques or finishes - is there one way that you can define the way you work in general?

No, to be honest - I can't. I experiment with styles, mediums and textures - it's such a fascinating thing.

Part II tomorrow...

by Svetlana Ihsanova
Portfolio at svetlanaihsanova.ru/

On The Street, Seoul... Kim Joohye

I think the key is to always match a colour with something neutral. So you could wear a nice pale orange trouser, but with a mid-grey or navy jacket. Or, if the weather suits pale colours everywhere, make sure one of them is a neutral colour like a beige or a cream
- Brunello Cucinelli

On The Street, Seoul... Park Jung Mi

I will not be just a tourist in the world of images, just watching images passing by which I cannot live in, make love to, possess as permanent sources of joy and ecstasy
- Anaïs Nin


It's been an odd weekend, I can only guess because it's a public holiday on Monday in Seoul (the Buddha's Birthday) and it seems like all the normal and stylish people have totally evaporated for the long weekend, only to be replaced by tourists and people who just don't seem like they'd normally be in the areas that we hang around.

And to add to that, everyone seems to have gone super-shy too, so it's been an effort. Still, all I wanted was to end the weekend meeting someone cool and stylish, not too shy and happy to be part of it, and to get their photograph. And that's exactly what happened. All is good.

Lookback: Some Photographs Of Women On The Street From My Last Trip To Taipei, Taiwan

Here's all you have to know about men and women: women are crazy, men are stupid. And the main reason women are crazy is that men are stupid
- George Carlin





















From top: Ivory, Gaga, Cindy, Hsiao Hsiao, Liao, Molly, Audrey, Ling Ling, Michelle, Maggie, Phoebe, Pearl, Shirley, Tiffany, Mola, Tequila, Tin, Wing, Yu and Tsai

On The Street, Seoul... Da Jung Kim

If a man loses pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured, or far away
- Henry David Thoreau


Sometimes it really hits me that this is quite an offbeat thing to do - run round Asia and take street style photographs. Like, there's really no-one else who has said "yup, I'm going to focus just on Asia, spend my time jumping between cities and take photographs, and that's all I'm going to do". Certainly other street style photographers (Sartorialist, Facehunter etc) have done pit-stops in this part of the world or there are the Asia based street-snap style sites that focus on the weird and wonderful, but it almost feels like anyone else who wanted to get the type of photographs I want to try to get would probably head straight over and live in New York, London, Paris, Milan or Stockholm, because to some extent that's where it's at.

So I guess I just have to conclude that I'm an eclectic mix of weird/crazy/eccentric/wanting-to-do-it-differently-than-the-rest, or maybe I'm just secretly hedging my bets that it'll all come good in Asia. Or both. Probably both.

On The Street, Seoul... Lina

Blue is the only color which maintains its own character in all its tones...it will always stay blue; whereas yellow is blackened in its shades, and fades away when lightened; red when darkened becomes brown, and diluted with white is no longer red, but another color – pink
- Raoul Duffy

On The Street, Seoul... Shinhye

I don't do fashion, I am fashion
- Coco Chanel

On The Street, Seoul... Jung

There are always flowers for those who want to see them
- Henri Matisse


It sounds absolutely crazy to me on one level to say that I've been really hanging out to see a girl wearing some floral prints, but I have. Something summery and bright and easy. It's just that I never imagined that I'd be thinking about those sorts of things.

On The Street, Seoul... Ahn

I’m always trying out new music so it’s hard to say what I will play in any particular night
- Sharam


I've been listening to this old Essential Mix by Sharam today and I just had this thought that being a DJ is about finding the records, knowing how to put them together and then having the skill to actually make it happen at the right time. And back in the day I kind of wanted to be a DJ, around the time in the UK that probably everyone wanted to get a pair of Technics and become a DJ because the whole club thing was so big. But I think I realise now that all I've ever wanted to do is find things, put them together and make them work. And I feel like I'm doing that, if I'm allowed to be presumptuous enough to say that I think it's working. So that feels nice, you know? Like I don't regret not actually taking the plunge and giving DJing a go, because I've got this, you know? I mean, maybe this is a bit of a total ramble / lateral drift, but there you go, that's how it is, that's just what's on my mind right now.

On The Street, Seoul... Enwai Youn

You have a choice. Live or die. Every breath is a choice. Every minute is a choice. To be or not to be
- Chuck Palahniuk


The thing with style is that it's a totally open decision in many respects. You can buy the clothes that you like. You can wear them how you want. You get to pick and choose and piece together in any way that works for you. It's just a matter of making that decision. And it's exactly the same decision that guides every facet of your life - did you choose to do it, do you want to do it, is it really the thing that defines and expresses who you are and what you want to be?

On The Street, Seoul... Kim Heeji, My Stripes Wall?

Composition starts when you situate your camera in space in relation to the object. For me, photography is the exploration in reality of the rhythm of surfaces, lines, or values; the eye carves out its subject, and the camera has only to do its work
- Henri Cartier-Bresson


As I walk around an area more and more, over time, I definitely become aware of these spots where I can take photographs. Although I can't say for sure if I particularly assign a kind of style that each spot would suit. So I wonder if this wall is just a wall that I've identified as being a good wall and clean space to take photographs against, or if this is my striped top wall. Because I didn't really even think at the time back to the photograph of Seohee (below) from last September, but there it is, both in stripes, same wall.

On The Street, Seoul... Yoon Jinwoo

Practice opening and closing your eyes a few times a day,
with the awareness of letting go of your dark feelings
to the brightness of the light
- Master Jin Kwon


Seoul is really turning into one of those really cool places where I just wander round these certain areas, turn a corner or look up the street and all of a sudden there's this person who looks really cool and I just want to go get their photograph. Then I start wandering again and the whole thing happens again. And again. It feels like I just have to keep my eyes open, keep wandering around and it'll keep happening.