Modern and vintage vibes in Ochanomizu

Coat: Le Ciel Bleu; sweater: Madewell; pants: Zara

shoes: Vans; clutch: Wego; watch: Marc by Marc Jacobs

I hope the weather stays this nice in Tokyo for the rest of winter. No matter how cold it gets, the sunlight always makes a difference. Even in pictures, it makes a huge difference. Lisa from Paint with Stars sure knows how to use the natural light to her advantage! This time, we trekked over to Ochanomizu, an area in Tokyo I've never took the time to explore until this weekend. I instantly felt like I was walking through a retro version of Tokyo, with the old-fashioned architecture, rusty bridges, and peaceful temples. Sometimes the contrast between a modern-looking silhouette against a vintage backdrop is... weirdly perfect.

今回のロケは御茶ノ水。今まで訪れたことがなかったので、ちょっとレトロな雰囲気に一目惚れしました。レトロ感にさらっとモダンな感じのスタイルも悪くないのかな、と。リサさんは相変わらずのカメラの腕前を披露してくれました！いつも素敵な写真を撮ってくれてありがとう。

By the way, I can't thank you all enough for the amazing support with my blog name switch. To tell you the truth, I was a bit nervous about it, but I don't regret it at all. Thank you so much for your kind words <3

All photos by Paint with Stars Photography

leopard girl

(Jacket: vintage; top: Uniqlo; pants: old from Le Ciel Bleu; boots: Target; clutch: Wego)

Photos by Lisa from Paint with Stars

Another cold February afternoon in Tokyo - this time, Roppongi Hills with my photographer friend Lisa. There was surprisingly quite a bit of snow left in the area, which turned out to be really pretty in the photos. 

Here, I am wearing my favorite leopard print jacket I randomly found at a used clothing store called Mode Off, for for only about 2000yen (about $20). And then everything else... black because I like black right now. Is it just me or does my hair look purple to you?? I was planning to dye it a violet red but I guess I might not have to anymore (ha).

Anyways, Lisa started an Instagram project called Portraits of Tokyo, and you guys should check it out! She takes photos of people on the streets of Tokyo that catch her eye, and conducts a brief interview with them. You can follow her @portraitsoftokyo :)

Stay warm everyone!! Hope you enjoyed these pictures!

Love,

Samantha Mariko

LE CIEL BLEU 2013 AW Collection

Hi everyone, it's been a while since my last post. I'm always thankful for all my readers and the lovely comments I receive (I read each and every one of them!).

I wanted to post something a little different today - I do post photos from photo shoots I do once in a while, but it's not what I do for a living believe it or not. I spend most of my days working for the web team at a Japanese apparel brand called LE CIEL BLEU. I work as their web model (you can't see my face, but I model & style about 90% of the clothes on the website), and do other things here and there. I also help out during the lookbook shoots as assistant stylist.

 Here are some of my favorite looks & items from their 2013 AW Collection Lookbook - plaid, fur and leopard print are some of the popular trends this season. Which looks/items do you like? 

It would be great if you checked out the website! You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Have a wonderful day!

Love,

Samantha Mariko