JQ Magazine: Fashion and Fun Ring in the Year of the Dragon

By Preston Hatfield (Kofu-shi, 2009-10) for JQ magazine. Preston moved to New York in January 2012 from San Francisco and works for Skyhorse Publishing. In addition to fantastic manuscripts, Preston is now accepting submissions from people who want to be his friend. Abduct him from his house in the middle of the night, or find him on Facebook and ask about his JET blog in which he details his exploits and misadventures in that crazy Land of the Rising Sun we all love. The Bennett Media Studio in New York’s West Village was filled to capacity on Feb. 11 for Saturday’s Lunar New Year Celebration and Fashion Show. This event, hosted by the ASIANinNY networking organization, treated guests to a night of Asian-oriented exhibitions, highlighted by two fashion shows and an energetic performance by cosplay singer and Japanese idol Reni Mimura.The boys took the stage first, modeling clothes by designer Ninh Nguyen and eliciting a number of lascivious hoots and catcalls from an appreciative crowd, and the girls, wearing Meiling Chen’s new line, came out to a barrage of camera flashes. Fitting with the Year of the Dragon, the models’ hair, stylized by a team from Haruo Noro Salon, exhibited a quiet ferocity and mystique.“For [the girls] the look is a simple and romantic boho style, center part, with a low ponytail and a braid. For [the boys] the look is a ’60s mod, edgy/punk, with a modern and clean feel,” lead stylist Noro said of his artistic intent. Having worked and studied in salons in Japan and London before coming to New Jersey and establishing his own business, Noro explained that for this event he drew mostly from his Japanese training, though having additional training and work with other cultures and participating in various fashion shows has enhanced his creative vision.“I love that ASIANinNY is able to feature and promote various Asian designers, and my team and I are very happy to be part of it,” he said.For the complete story, click here.