Undressed: T.Y. Liew

By Vicki Ho

Tell me about all this Asian style.

Ulzzang is a type of Korean style. It means “best face,” and it basically describes a group of people who are very pretty. Korean fashion is more plain and simple but at the same time really stylish. Japanese style is more like, “Look at me!” Shopping in Japan is so much fun; it’s nothing like here. Everyone on the street is so stylish so it makes you feel like you can’t just wear jeans and a T-shirt. Then you’ll really stand out because you’re boring. But recently I’ve been really into Lolita fashion.

What’s that?

Lolita is where you dress up like a doll almost. It’s very elegant. And there are different types of Lolita, such as the Sweet Lolita, which is more pink and blue, pastel colors, frills, and lace.

So Lolita is a type of Japanese style?

Yeah. I mean it came from Japan but it’s pretty popular in other places, including the U.S., but it’s definitely more common in Japan. You know, like Harajuku girls. I always shop for this online now; I never buy from the U.S.

What’s the reasoning behind it?

It’s kind of like an escape from reality. Like living in a dream and becoming a princess. Or having tea and cake every day. It’s just a chance to feel almost like a kid again. Or a doll.

I like your bow.

I make bows. I actually just started an Etsy shop. I live online. When people ask me where I’m from I should just say I’m from the Internet. I shop and I meet a lot of people online.

Where do you meet your online friends?

I meet them on Tumblr. I’m a huge Tumblr user.

Did you walk here in those heels?

Yeah. It was a trek, but actually wasn’t that bad. When I went to Tokyo, everyone wore heels. Even though I’m taller than the average Japanese girl, I still felt the need to wear heels. So I bought two pairs of heels when I was there so I could practice walking around Tokyo. And this is a huge city, so I just got used to it. Now I can never not wear heels! So that’s a tip for you if you want to start wearing heels. Just wear them everywhere! Endure the pain.

I’m pretty sure Asians can’t have naturally blonde hair.

I mean, I haven’t had my normal hair color since high school; I just don’t like myself with black hair. I just always wanted to be blonde.

So do blondes really have more fun?

Yes!