Vint-Age: ジャカルタの真夜中撮影

It's been such a long time since I've done a collaboration with someone in this little old blog—apparently, the last one was almost a year ago—and can't be more thrilled to share these photos with you guys. Earlier this week, my best friend Gina asked me for help with taking photos for a couple of her Japanese friends who happened to be in town. She only said that they would like to have photos of their clothes taken—in my mind, it's more an #ootd scenario. What she didn't mention is that it aims to be a little more high fashion, albeit with my amateur skills and equipments. You see, Gina's friends just happen to be Kaori-san, one of the fashion designers for Vint-Age, and Takako-san, a professional model. Thankfully, they're not looking for any specific art direction, that the lack of better lighting setup as well as the milling crowd gawking in the background don't bother them at all.

The first thing Gina told me about the photoshoot is that Kaori-san and Takako-san wants to have a city vibe within the photos. While it seems easy enough—you can't get more metropolitan than Jakarta—it feels a bit tricky to find a spot. Gina proposed Bunderan HI—a big roundabout in the middle of the city—and they thought it was the perfect place. One problem: we didn't really know how to get there—or if we were allowed to be there at all. But, after making our way to it and seeing people flocking there, we ended up jaywalking our way to the circular fountain area—with the help of some very kind ojek drivers—and drank in the city scape. Kaori-san and Takako-san seemed to be awed by the skyscrapers, traffic and, well, other people taking selfies around us. They said a view like that can never be found in Japan—although I'd argue that's what makes their grass so much greener. As soon as I brought out my camera, Takako-san kept striking poses after amazing poses, while Kaori-san helped direct me to the desired backdrop. It was a really great dynamic!

After a while, we made our way to the other side of the fountain. Takako-san, with the help of Kaori-san, changed her clothes expertly, without having to strip down in the open. It was such a relief, as the other side was more crowded and a lot more people were watching. Gina even caught a snippet of someone saying they wanted to take selfies with Takako-san—but ended up not doing it. This next dress was inspired by a goldfish—can you see the resemblance? I absolutely love this dress in particular, because—as you know—my favourite colour is orange and, well, goldfish is my number one favourite fish. It's so gorgeous and really captures the essence of the fish! Kaori-san and Takako-san really love the long, wide road that leads all the way to Monas from here. I admit, it does look gorgeous, but it amazes me that they don't mind the hubbub of cars in the background—except maybe the dominating buses. バス待ちです。

Afterwards, it was time to change location. Gina proposed going to Kota Tua, although we feared that the vibe would be completely different, but they don't mind at all. The next outfit was a lot more complicated though, so we decided to move back to the nearby mall. While Kaori-san and Takako-san change in the toilet, Gina and I grabbed a bite—Kaori-san and Takako-san has just eaten, they said. By the time we were all finished, it was almost 10 PM already. We made our way to Kota Tua by car and parked by the side of the big river. It was, thankfully, brightly lit. We took some photos around this area, using the buildings and the river as backdrop. Strangely enough, at this time—on a Monday—there were still so many couples around. When we wanted to go to the square, unfortunately, it was already closed for the day. Kaori-san loved the night market scene, though, and decided to use that as a backdrop as well. How curious! Afterwards, we headed home together.

All dresses were designed by Kaori-san. All photos were taken and edited by me.

Honestly, this was one of those fleeting yet memorable experiences that I won't forget in a hurry. Kaori-san and Takako-san has inspired me greatly. Not unlike Saku-chan, their fresh eyes for looking at the beauty of things I've been taking for granted my whole life are just so influential. It always takes the outlook of an outsider to really appreciate and cherish what you have. They have also given me the opportunity to practice my Japanese after years of letting it rot in the back of my mind. It's been such a pleasure to engage in conversations with them and I'm so, so glad to have met them. Thank you so much for such a lovely night! And thank you to Gina for introducing us and thinking of me for this little amateur, playful—albeit inspiring and immensely fun—gig. Wish you the best on your future endeavours, Kaori-san, Takako-san. 誘ってくれてありがとうございました！