The Kouklitas RSS Feed http://kouklitas.com/rss.xml.html en The Kouklitas 2006 120 Andrew Yang X Barneys Fukuoka http://kouklitas.com/andrew-yang-x-barneys-fukuoka.html This September I had the privilege of traveling to Fukuoka Japan where I was invited to make a personal appearance with the dolls for the occasion of the opening of a new Barneys New York store. It was my first time to Japan, and Fukuoka was a beautiful way to experience it. I never want to eat sashimi anywhere else but japan, and the yakitori was to DIE for! 

The Barneys display team did a beautiful job with the installation. 

Miss Ayano <3 <3 designed her amazing jeweled iPhone case. 

Designer Yoshiyo Abe of Petite-Robe Noir, looking beautiful next to her doll. 

Some of Petite Robe Noire's beautiful line of costume pearls- light as a feather, made from paper. 

Custom bridal dolls. 

Rhodon chou chou designers - future Kouklitas! 

Ramon filming me in a short trip to the Hakata doll museum. 



]]> Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:31:22 -0500 http://kouklitas.com/andrew-yang-x-barneys-fukuoka.html China Blues http://kouklitas.com/china-blues.html

I've been traveling in Beijing, and the inner depths of China in conjunction with a Charity Project, more to follow...but for now. 

]]> Sat, 24 Sep 2011 22:46:05 -0500 http://kouklitas.com/china-blues.html A Town Called Obsolete http://kouklitas.com/a-town-called-obsolete.html "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."

- Marcel Proust

Andreya Triana 

]]> Sun, 18 Sep 2011 20:41:03 -0500 http://kouklitas.com/a-town-called-obsolete.html L'annonce Officielle http://kouklitas.com/lannonce-officielle.html

In February of this year, I was contacted by the Galeries Lafayette in Paris, which is credited as being the oldest department store in the world. Apparently, Valerie Hudelot, the directrice of visual image and merchandising, had seen my dolls in the jewelry cases at Barneys New York over the previous holiday. Originally I thought they were interested in retailing my dolls. I was in for a surprise when it became clear a few conference calls later that they were interested in something, much, much bigger. 

Their Christmas window displays-- only this year it won't be teddy bears dancing in the windows. 

In March, I flew out with my design and production partner in crime, Jillian Carrozza, to meet with the Paris team and begin climbing the mountain of work that lay before us in the form of blood, sweat, tears, and doll parts. Lots and lots of doll parts. 

Standing in one of the windows where the Kouklitas will be dancing this Christmas, behind the red curtain is the Boulevard Haussman.

Jillian on the roof of the Galeries Lafayette, taking in Paris. 

First were the sketches. There were 110 individual characters that had to be designed for these windows. The theme is Rock N' Noel, a Rock and Roll festival starring the K-Stars, a five girl rock group that has taken over the music charts. They would be riding tour buses, getting their hair and makeup done, working it on fashion shoots, and of course, rocking it out in concert, in style. And, they wouldn't be wearing any clothes by the designers of Paris, Milan, London, or New York, they would be wearing clothes designed by me. 

Once the sketches were approved, the dolls went into production over the course of the last three months, three months in Studio Lovechilde, where all I did was eat, breathe, and sweat dolls alongside Jillian, and my faithful cohorts, Coco, QiuQiu, and whoever else jumped on board for the ride to sew a few crystals or spray paint a couple of shoes. In addition to the 110 dolls initially proposed by the Paris store, we also undertook an additional 50 dolls for their Casablanca and Strasbourg stores, 20 dolls for the opening of a new Barneys New York store based in Fukuoka Japan, (where I am writing from now--more on that to follow soon!), and another 110 commercial dolls to be produced at a more affordable price point, being sold for retail on the store shelves during the season. 

Everything was going smoothly, ready to be shipped, photographed and sent to Paris. All we needed was three more days to finalize the last few details and shoot the dolls-- and then, New York was slapped in the face by Hurricane Irene. We had to stop production, and pack up the studio---hastily boxing up months of blood, sweat, tears, and doll parts, and shlepping them to my apartment. 

The wasteland- chinatown bags filled with dolls, drawers of trims and notions, Barneys Japan dresses, and a bed rarely slept in. 

But we had a backup plan. Because of the lost days we would ship what we had to Paris, carry the rest, and finish the work there. 

Hours after landing, we went with the display and exhibit team to the Phillip Stark designed Kong, one of the only restaurants in Paris with a proper view of the Seine, the Louis Vuitton headquarters, and the haunted and empty Samaritaine. And then, as soon as lunch was done, we were whisked off three floors below the ground level of the corporate offices of Galeries Lafayette, where Jillian and I set up shop and finished what we started. 

The five commercial dolls, the first ever limited edition dressed Kouklitas dolls. They will retail for 150€. 

After those last days of working, and photographing, we were rewarded with a visit to the studio of Jean-Claude Dehix, the maestro puppeteer who will make the Kouklitas dance, whose son will make the Kouklitas dance in the Casablanca windows, and whose father and grandfather made hundreds of puppets come alive in the windows of Galeries Lafayette and Printemps for the last century , and many other stores, parks, and events worldwide. 



Rock and Noel. I'll see you in Paris! 

For more behind the scenes photos of my dolly daze of a summer, click here. 

]]> Sat, 17 Sep 2011 06:21:42 -0500 http://kouklitas.com/lannonce-officielle.html New Delhi http://kouklitas.com/new-delhi.html
"India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition. our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only."
-Mark Twain

Harris' beautiful home, where I stayed. 

Eastlight Creations Studio in South Delhi. 

The markets in Old Delhi. 

The trim shops. 

Women carrying baskets of combs. 

Harris Pontikis, owner of Eastlight Creations, my host & friend. 

Leaving with some beautiful henna, my favorite souvenir. 

]]> Tue, 16 Aug 2011 09:09:44 -0500 http://kouklitas.com/new-delhi.html Crochet Dresses http://kouklitas.com/crochet-dresses.html


"Knitting and crocheting clothing, accessories, and home decor items is as much a sanity saver or a social outlet as they are a creative effort." 

-Kate Walsh

]]> Sun, 14 Aug 2011 07:40:25 -0500 http://kouklitas.com/crochet-dresses.html Wild Beasts http://kouklitas.com/wild-beasts.html "I want my lips to blister when we kiss." 

While finding more of this amazing band's music to listen to, I discovered their arsenal of breathtaking videos. Wild Beasts will be at the top of my fall playlist. 

]]> Tue, 09 Aug 2011 19:24:35 -0500 http://kouklitas.com/wild-beasts.html Summertime Photo Diary http://kouklitas.com/summertime-photo-diary.html It's been too long since I've been able to post. To say that the days have been flying by would be quite an understatement. I've been quite busy with several new projects and collaborations, and have lots of new developments underway. Here is a little photo diary of what's been going on in Kouklitaland for the past few months. 

A mermaid doll gift for a friend. Crocheted wig by Jillian Carrozza. 

Turban making. 

Snejana, looking sexy as usual. 

Custom Doll of myself in costume. 

Kitty snapshot from an impromptu weekend away. 

Cityscape from Studio Lovechilde. 

The last of the Space Queens. 

One of my favorite Manhattan buildings. 

Dinner with friends. 

Burlesque dancer Amber Ray by J.David Mckenney. 

Doll heads for a new project. 

The pink dinosaurs in the new Aritzia store that opened in Soho. 

Coco sewing a doll wig. 

New doll..

]]> Sun, 07 Aug 2011 23:12:36 -0500 http://kouklitas.com/summertime-photo-diary.html Perfidia http://kouklitas.com/perfidia.html

"Music washes away from the soul the dust of every day life."

- Berthold Auerbach

Perfidia - Xavier Cugat

]]> Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:23:08 -0500 http://kouklitas.com/perfidia.html Coiffures http://kouklitas.com/coiffures.html

 

All hair by THE JANET COLLECTION

"Her eyes as stars of twilight fair;

Like twilight's too, her dusky hair."

- William Wordsworth

 

The Kouklitas from Matthew Adam on Vimeo.

]]> Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:38:43 -0500 http://kouklitas.com/coiffures.html Drawing Room http://kouklitas.com/drawing-room.html  

"I prefer drawing to talking. Drawing is faster, and leaves less room for lies."

- Le Corbusier

A beautiful portrait of me drawn by friend and Kouklitas elf, Qiu Qiu

]]> Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:50:50 -0500 http://kouklitas.com/drawing-room.html The Hat Lady - Part I http://kouklitas.com/the-hat-lady-part-i.html "I myself have 12 hats, each one represents a different personality. Why just be yourself?" 

Margaret Atwood

All of the hats on my Kouklitas are made by the talented Jessie Abraham of A La Tete millinery. Any of these can be ordered for your Kouklitas, as well as additional styles on her website. More to come. 

]]> Wed, 18 May 2011 13:54:27 -0500 http://kouklitas.com/the-hat-lady-part-i.html Call of the Wild http://kouklitas.com/call-of-the-wild.html "To be whole. To be complete. Wildness reminds us what it means to be human, what we are connected to rather than what we are separate from."

-Terry Tempest 

Natalia by Paolo Roversi

]]> Sun, 08 May 2011 10:11:20 -0500 http://kouklitas.com/call-of-the-wild.html Spring Cleaning http://kouklitas.com/spring-cleaning.html Aside from much overdue spring cleaning, the dolly end of the studio went through quite an overhaul, as I am busy preparing for a huge new project that required me to revamp the space! More pictures to come. 

]]> Tue, 03 May 2011 11:35:41 -0500 http://kouklitas.com/spring-cleaning.html Studio Sittings http://kouklitas.com/studio-sittings.html Since Josh and I put up a seamless three months ago, we've had a lot of great opportunities to really maximize the use of our studio space. Josh originally went to school for photography, and it shows in the stills he's been taking for his own illustrated portrait series of friends and nightlife luminaries. 

I also kind of fell into photography, as anyone who works in fashion inevitably does at some point. All one really needs is a clean backdrop, good camera, and great light, and voila! 

Shien Lee, nightlife revolutionary, of Shien Lee Creative Group. We are attending her Secret Garden Masquerade in the next few weeks. Shot here by J. David McKenney

My beautiful sister Alyssa Yang, follow her insightful thoughts on here on twitter. 

The amazingly talented musician Erin Barra. 

Request model Misa Patinszki in an outtake from a fashion film I recently co-directed. 

Jessica Cole as Jerry Hall by J. David McKenney. See below - 

Nightlife Rockstar Starlet, Darian Darling. Both of us were recently featured in the latest issue of FDQ. She runs a lifestyle blog for blondes, and those who are inner blondes. Photo by J. David McKenney. 

Author portrait for Josh and Jessica Cole, who are working on a graphic novel together. 

And of course, yours truly, photographed by my studio mate. 

]]> Mon, 02 May 2011 09:58:17 -0500 http://kouklitas.com/studio-sittings.html Paper Dreams http://kouklitas.com/paper-dreams.html The magnificent work of Isabelle de Borchgrave. 

A good friend has told me that I must see this exhibition at the Legion Of Honor Museum in San Francisco, take a look if you are in the area or get a chance. Below, from the museum's website: 

 

February 5, 2011 - June 5, 2011

 

Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave is a painter by training, but textile and costume are her muses. Working in collaboration with leading costume historians and young fashion designers, de Borchgrave crafts a world of splendor from the simplest rag paper. Painting and manipulating the paper, she forms trompe l’oeil masterpieces of elaborate dresses inspired by rich depictions in early European painting or by iconic costumes in museum collections around the world.  The Legion of Honor is the first American museum to dedicate an entire exhibition to the work of Isabelle de Borchgrave, although her creations have been widely displayed in Europe.

Pulp Fashion draws on several themes and presents quintessential examples in the history of costume—from Renaissance finery of the Medici family and gowns worn by Elizabeth I and Marie-Antoinette to the creations of the grand couturiers Frederick Worth, Paul Poiret, Christian Dior, and Coco Chanel. Special attention is given to the creations and studio of Mariano Fortuny, the eccentric early-20th-century artist who is both a major source of inspiration to de Borchgrave and a kindred spirit.

]]> Thu, 14 Apr 2011 09:01:33 -0500 http://kouklitas.com/paper-dreams.html O'logy Boozine http://kouklitas.com/ology-boozine.html

]]> Sat, 02 Apr 2011 12:47:29 -0500 http://kouklitas.com/ology-boozine.html Glow Magazine http://kouklitas.com/glow-magazine.html

]]> Sat, 02 Apr 2011 12:42:00 -0500 http://kouklitas.com/glow-magazine.html Nightingale http://kouklitas.com/nightingale.html "A poet is a nightingale, who sits in darkness and sings to cheer its own solitude with sweet sounds."

- Percy Bysshe Shelley

The work of Robert Bartholot. 

]]> Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:49:42 -0500 http://kouklitas.com/nightingale.html Exhibitionist http://kouklitas.com/exhibitionist.html  

I made a brief trip to Paris this last week for some business this last week, and on my last day there went to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. 
There was an exhibition on nineties fashion, and as we move further and further away from that particular decade, its easier to understand more of what it meant in terms of the fashions of the times. As is always the case, seeing these clothes in person is quite an experience. Here are a few pictures I snapped before I was told "pas les photos monsieur." 

Galliano for Dior 

Vivienne Westwood

Plus Dior

Unfortunately we were there right before closing, so on my next trip I'll be sure to go back and give a more extensive review of the museum itself, filled with treasures, textiles, and jewelry. 

]]> Wed, 23 Mar 2011 09:21:35 -0500 http://kouklitas.com/exhibitionist.html