Death stare… That’s me, on the cover of Giuseppina Magazine! 

I’m honored to be featured in Issue #27 of Giuseppina (available here), with an editorial spread and interview. I’ve been a fan of this leading alternative / Gothic fashion magazine for a long time.

Above is the cover! My almighty team created these images to fit with the “Lace” theme of the current issue. We were inspired by an elegant, Gothic, Japanese moodboard.

Photographer: Joey Wong of Joey Wong Photography
Makeup artist: Jennifer Little of A Little Artistry
Hair stylist: Stephanie Hoy of Stratosphere Hair salon, Vancouver
Model and styling: La Carmina

I love how it all came together. A fog machine added to the witchy, spooky feeling of this shoot.

I’m wearing a lace cape by Black Milk Clothing (they also make the stretchy leotard, seen below). The leather pencil skirt and corset top are by Hong Kong’s Erbert Chong. 

Jennifer Little of A Little Artistry keeps on raising the bar, each time we work together. She airbrushed over lace fabric, to create this ninja-like effect.

Stephanie Hoy of Stratosphere Salon made my hair come alive with dark blues, purples and magentas. If there’s a hair-color-Zen-master, it would be her.

Photographer Joey created this eerie effect by shooting into the mirror. It has a The Shining type of vibe, don’t you think?

(I’m wearing a top by Teale Coco.)

Everyone got creative with the “lace” theme. We wanted the look to be Gothic, yet a departure from what usually comes to mind.

A million thank yous to Giuseppina Magazine for the cover feature, and to my creative team for their outstanding work! (You are welcome to Pin / share our images, if you kindly link and credit back.)

To see more of these modeling images, and read my interview, you may order a copy of the issue. 

Speaking of photography — I’ve decided to share some of my Shanghai iPhone snaps with you. As you know, I now travel with professional photographers, and we strive to keep the image quality high in all of our works.

However, there are times when I leave the big DSLR cameras behind. I relish these moments of wandering at leisure, and capturing sights like these on my iPhone.

On my last day in Shanghai, I went to M50 or Moganshan Road by myself. Strolled around, met with local friends, and snapped away at inspiring murals (like this skull one above).

I hope you enjoy this casual iPhone diary of street art and fashion in China’s biggest city! 

M50 is known as one of the coolest districts in Shanghai. It’s home to contemporary art galleries and a long wall of street art, which anyone can contribute to.

Address: ask your taxi driver to go to 50 Moganshan Road (Chinese: 莫干山路50号). Cab fares are cheap in China, and the streets in this area are a bit confusing, so it’s better to just pay for a ride.

Moganshan Road stretches along a crumbling wall, and every possible space is covered with street art. I took photos of my favorites, like this one of Street Fighter Chun Lee. 

The works are an assortment of graffiti, sketches, and painstakingly-made paintings. The messages are a peek into the minds of the artists. I wonder what China Face and “Campbelli Soup” represent.

Every time you visit M50, the colors and images change. It’s a constant work in progress. A fellow visitor handed me a silver market, and I added my fold-eared cat to the wall.

About 15 years ago, this district was a run-down industrial area. Shanghai artists flocked here, drawn by the cheap rent, and opened up studios.

Today, this area has over 100 art studios, which are free and open to the public.

I met up with my local friends, Andrew and Storm, who were adding art to the famous Moganshan wall. Using stencils, masking tape and spray-paint, they created this intergalactic work.

Want to see their street art in action? I took a short video of them making the mural; see it above and on VideoFy Me.

This art district reminded me of Woodstock in Cape Town, where local artists also brought color and creativity to decaying buildings.

Unfortunately, the property is owned by a Chinese developer, which has threatened tear it down. Parts have already been demolished, despite pleas. Hopefully they won’t tear down this wall, as it’s one of the few public spaces for expression, in strict China. 

I could have spent hours in Moganshan Lu, exploring the contemporary art galleries and studios. I was most impressed by this solo exhibition by Qiu Shengxian.

His painting style is known as “Mother and Son” because he fuses classical Chinese motifs with contemporary fashion and styling. The result: arresting, alien-like portraits like these.

Look closely. The red jackets contain a subtle pattern of Buddha heads and demons, all drawn by hand.

Ancient Chinese empress meets The Fifth Element. No wonder local artists like Qiu Shen Xian are gaining notice worldwide.

As I waited for a taxi, I took this snap of a Shanghai hipster girl, sitting with her pink cat bag and texting on her phone.

What else should I do on my free day in Shanghai? Shop, of course!

I walked from Cachet Hotel (where we stayed) down West Nanjing Road, and went into whichever boutiques drew my eye. Such as Snoopy, dressed in A Bathing Ape (BAPE) camouflage, and the silver cone-heads in the window.

I passed a lot of luxury brand stores, similar to the feeling of Fifth Avenue in NYC, or Ginza in Tokyo (not my cup of tea). Finally, I came across something intriguing: a smiley face, and three golden lions perched on a tall pole.

They are guarding Jing’an Temple, a of worship that was built almost 800 years ago. After a devastating fire in the 1970s, the Buddhist temple was rebuilt, and remains a popular site today.

❤ Continue reading this post, to see photos from the Miffy store, Gladnews and more Shanghai style. ❤

More here!