Happy Friday! How quickly this week has gone, and how I’ve longed to see your head pop-up! This weekend is extra sweet, as we get Monday (MLK) day off (whoo!). Okay, so hubby doesn’t, but I’ll take mine! The itinerary is already starting to fill up (beginning with mom’s birthday celebration – we’re going to the opera!), and another round of wardrobe styling with a client in Brooklyn Heights (fun fun fun!).
Today’s blogterview feature is the lovely Keiko of New York à la Keiko. I had forgotten exactly how we met (I think through a mutual blog-post on Chanel, go figure), but I feel so lucky to know this vibrant, fashionista-glam-scientist! Whoa that’s a mouthful. She definitely reminds me of some of the impressive multi-faceted ladies I went to school with, who manages, somehow, to juggle multiple worlds, careers, and interests, all while looking effortless and fabulous. Just through reading her words alone, I feel as though we are kindred spirits! Read on more about the exquisite and whimsical world of Keiko!
RockShic: How long have you been blogging?
Keiko: I started blogging back in 2005 when I moved to Taiwan away from all my friends, I wanted a place where I can share with them what I was doing, eating, seeing in Taiwan and other places I traveled in Asia. I was always emailing tons of pictures to different friends (I am sure they got tired of it) and that took a toll on my email storage space so having a blog was the next best tool for sharing pictures and stories!
My most current blog ‘New York a
la Keiko’ was born when I moved to NY and wanted to create a fresh new blog to
start my fresh new life.
RockShic: What
inspired you to blog?
Keiko: For nykeiko.com, it was really the city of New York that inspired me. I like to document everything I get the chance to do in this dynamic city full of arts and fashion. Like my digital scrapbook that I can share with others.
Seeing other bloggers doing similar things really inspired me to take better pictures, be more honest and detailed about my experiences.
RockShic: In a nutshell: how would you summarize the
objective/purpose of your blog?
Keiko: The first purpose of my blog was to have something to
share with my friends and family on how my life is in NY but then as I started
reading more blogs out there, I began shifting my focus to a wider audience
targeting women who share common interests. Traveling (which I love!), restaurants,
beauty, fashion and everyday silliness. I know not many people would care to
know about who I am and what I do everyday but I know a lot of girls out there
care about the sample sales I attend and cool New York things to do. Those get
the highest viewerships!
RockShic: Who do you envision as the ideal audience for your blog?
Keiko: Cool chatty creative smart people who have the same interests as me.
RockShic: What are some of your favorite blogs?
I have a few favorite blogs and they are mostly lifestyle blogs. (I like pretty pictures and daily anecdotes!). Style By Kling, Garance Dore, Gary Pepper Vintage, The Man Repeller and Fashion Toast are just a few blogs I get great inspirations from. These bloggers travel the world and do great to-die-for fashion collaborations and their photography is a major plus!
I also follow a couple of blogs from local indie shops that feature local artists so I can keep up with what’s being created in the city of New York. Ofakind.com’s blog has featurettes and interviews with artists.
RockShic: What do you as your "day-job?"
Keiko: I constantly struggle with revealing my identity because of my day job and so, I still use my nickname Keiko although I post pictures of myself all the time. I work as a scientist in a lab and I wear jeans and sneakers almost on a daily basis. I do not get the chance to dress up every day although it gives me more precious minutes of sleep each morning since I don’t need to worry about my outfits! I sometimes dream of a job where I do need to wear pretty outfits but that’s why I always look forward to going out on weekends to wear the clothes that I neglect during the work week – mostly my heels and new jewelry! I think if I had a different career, I’d have better reasons to justify many more of my purchases!
RockShic: You live in Williamsburg, can you categorize for
us... in perhaps three short bullets, why you love your neighborhood and what
sets it apart, style-wise, from Manhattan?
I have never been able to describe the style in Williamsburg as it is a mash-up of everything! There’s posh, vintage, hip and weird. I used to call them all hipsters but I cannot tell who are the authentic Brooklynites to the visiting Manhattanites that try to fit in.
RockShic: Tell us about some of your favorite spots in
Williamsburg!
I’ve got a lot of shops I love in Brooklyn and especially love attending Brooklyn Flea or Smorgasburg or the annual craft fairs. I love meeting artists and they love meeting their customers and explaining with great passion of their work. The upcoming 3rd ward holiday craft fair is coming and all the artists will be there hustling their art.
I think that living in Williamsburg for the past couple of years has really made me more open to trying new styles. The street style around my neighborhood makes me rethink following “rules” of fashion. I see people make “dorky” things like oxford shoes, big eyewear frames, plaid shirts, overalls somehow work! And then I see similar styles on Sartorialist and remind myself that there are no boundaries to looking good! Blogs like The Sartorialist and Rock Shic with street styles gives me a starting point (a photo) when I feel brave enough to venture out of my comfort zone and purchase an item I would never have done before. I see lots of plaid in Brooklyn all year round and since Garance Dore mentioned on her blog the other week that her and Scott Schuman purchased 3 plaid shirts from Uniqlo, I am thinking of giving plaid a try too!
RockShic: Which Winter Trends are you most crazy about?
I look forward to all the trends every season and like to mix it up with the oldies! For Winter, I like something nerdy like these new touch screen compatible wool gloves. My friends from Canada at Quill and Tine actually just launched their collection. I think it would be practical to have in the Winter, as I am always checking my phone on the go! As for crazy trends, I think that even if I thought it was crazy, some trendy lady with confidence is going to make it work!
